Reports said that the couple from Le Havre, Normandy, wanted a Savannah cat after they saw an online advertisement nearly two years ago.
After they put aside $7,000 (Rs 5.1 lakh) to buy it, they made the online purchase.
But that cat turned out to be a baby tiger. The story started to unfold in 2018. Despite the fact that it was a tiger, its real identity did not get noticed.
The couple said their suspicions were aroused after a week with it. When the police were called in, their investigation led to the conclusion that it was a Sumatran tiger cub.
The tiger is in good health and is now in the custody of the French Biodiversity Office.
“Before its purchase by the couple, the tiger had been seen in selfies in Elbeuf and even in a rap clip shot in Petit-Quevilly,” read a report by 76actu.fr.
Sumatran tigers are from Indonesia and are endangered with hardly 400 left, according to WWF. An investigation is on. The latest reports say nine have been arrested, including the couple who bought it.