Couple paid over $10k for a 'cat' which turned out to be a tiger

The pair ended up with a tiger cub when they thought they were purchasing a cat. Photo / 123rf

A French couple got more than they bargained for when they purchased what they thought was a "Savannah cat".

French outlet France Bleu reported the unnamed couple told police they came across the cat online two years ago, however to their surprise it was false advertising.

As the "cat" turned out to be a Sumatran tiger cub.

This is what a Savannah cat looks like. Photo / 123rf

The pair paid more than $10,000 for the

wild cat which LADbible says is legal to be kept as a pet in the country.

However the Sumatran tiger is native to Indonesia and is considered endangered with fewer than 400 of them globally according to the World Wildlife Fund.

"In Indonesia, anyone caught hunting tigers could face jail time and steep fines," the wildlife group said.

"But despite increased efforts in tiger conservation — including strengthening law enforcement and anti-poaching capacity — a substantial market remains in Sumatra and other parts of Asia for tiger parts and products."

Earlier in the week police in France arrested nine people in connection with the tiger which was traced to an animal tracking operation.

The tiger was in good health.