CITES (the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species, officially started in 1975) is an agreement between Governments. The aim is to ensure that international trade in animals or plants does not present a threat to the survival of any species of plant or animal.

There are three levels of protection offered.

Species in Appendix 1 are critically endangered and trade is strictly controlled, with detailed papers being submitted by both exporters and importers. Few animals in this category can be exported legally.

Appendix 2 refers to species that cannot be traded externally without an export permit, which may be issued only if the specimen was legally obtained and if the export will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. No import permits are required.

Appendix 3 contains species that are protected in at least one country. This country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

The serval is listed in Appendix 2, so if a serval is exported from Canada, a certificate would be necessary only from the Canadian CITES Management people.

As CITES only applies to international trade, it is essential that some effective legislation to control ownership and trade within a country be enacted. Right now, one can breed servals, declaw them, and sell them quite legally in the absence of laws to the contrary, which some municipalities have enacted.

Incidentally, it takes about 18 servals to make a fur coat.