SERVAL – SMALL AND DEADLY
When one thinks of predators in Africa the lion, leopard and
cheetah comes to mind, and rightly so. The Serval, Felis Serval, is a small cousin, but very interesting in
its own right.
The serval is a true cat of the savannah. It is a long and sleek animal with the typical catlike head and
features. It has padded feet with retractable claws, and along with its well developed teeth, these form it main
weapons of attack. The coat of a serval is spotted and barred on its neck and shoulders. It is dark spots on a
tawny background, so is easily distinguishable when seen in the wild. In height it stands about as high as the knee
of a man. It can weigh up to 18 kilograms, but on average they weigh abut 14 to 15 kilograms.
Contact us now to arrange your Namibia safari, and have the opportunity to see these fascinating animals in the
wild.
The Serval is found in most parts of Africa. Here in Namibia it prefers savannah and woodlands, and occurs over
most parts of the country. The colouring of the serval helps it to blend in very well in areas as above mentioned.
It will prefer an area with reliable water. With its long legs and big ears the Serval is adapted to hunt in long
grass. It preys on rodents, small mammals, birds and insects, making it very adaptable in its diet. Servals are not
built for high speed chases, and prefer the ambush as its main attack. They are mainly nocturnal, so one will have
to wait patiently at a waterhole during the night if you want to see these lovely creatures.
Servals have territories. It might vary in size, and is mainly based on food availability. The more food around
the smaller the territory will be. Males use urine to scent mark their territory and will defend their territory
from another cat that enters it. Fighting does occur over territories, but this is usually just a hissing match.
Serious fights occur when the mating season comes around.
The female serval will initiate the mating procedure. With loud calling and scent marking her area she will let
it be known that she is in heat. After mating several times, the male will leave again. The gestation period is
around 70 days and a litter of 2 to 4 kittens will be born. Birth usually takes place in a hole or burrow to lend
some protection to the kittens while they are still suckling. Servals usually give birth in the summer months,
which is towards the end of the rain season.
Servals have no real enemies except man. Bigger predators will kill the kittens if they accidentally come across
them, but this is rare. The biggest enemy is man, especially in commercial farmland areas. It is believed that
serval takes livestock, mainly lambs. This causes them to be shot on sight. They are a very adaptable specie,
and although their numbers have dropped in certain areas, it is extremely difficult to count these elusive cats. In
Etosha National Park they are seen on a regular basis. So much so that servals have been spotted during daytime at
some of the waterholes.
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