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Powerful and agile, servals can leap up to two metres and pinpoint rodents using their exceptional hearing.
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To communicate with other servals they have a high-pitched cry.
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Servals have the largest ears of any cat relative to body size. Their incredible hearing allows them to hear and locate a rodent’s ultrasonic squeaks.
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They can be found in a range of grassland, woodland and marshland. The main threats to servals come from larger predators and humans.
She is one of our more playful servals and loves leaping around for her food. Jua has definitely inherited more of her dad’s temperament than her mum’s.
The serval is a distinctive member of the small cat family, known for its slender build, long legs and large oval ears. Its yellowish-gold coat is marked with bold black spots, a pattern that has unfortunately led to serval pelts being smuggled into the fur trade and passed off as cheetah. While most servals display this classic colouring, melanistic (black) and leucistic (white) individuals also exist. However, white servals have never been recorded in the wild and are only found in captive populations.
Servals are most closely related to the caracal and African golden cat, both of which are also native to Africa. With very specific habitat requirements, servals are often restricted to smaller ranges, typically living close to watercourses.
The serval’s unique build makes it a highly specialised rodent hunter, although it will also prey on hares, flamingos and young antelope. Its disproportionately large ears give it remarkable accuracy when pinpointing burrowing prey, while long legs provide an excellent field of vision and can deliver a powerful, stunning blow. Servals are also exceptional jumpers, capable of reaching heights of up to nine feet in a single vertical leap, allowing them to catch birds in mid-flight.
Unlike many African cats, servals are not routinely persecuted by local communities, as they avoid livestock and pose little threat to farmers. Instead, one of the greatest dangers they face comes from the exotic pet trade, where servals are increasingly hybridised with domestic cats to produce the Savannah breed.