Serval
Leptailurus Serval
Animal facts
Servals are medium sized cats which resemble cheetahs. The Serval has yellow fur with dark spots which camouflages it for hunting.
They have long legs, large ears and a small head. Servals have very keen eyesight and acute hearing, in fact, their hearing is so good, that they can hear animals moving under the ground.
The Serval usually hunts at dusk and leaps to strike the prey with its forepaws.
Servals are extinct in South Africa and very rare north of the Sahara, owing to the trade in their fur. It takes 13 adult Servals to make 1 fur coat.
Where they live
West and East Africa
Habitat
Savannah and Wetlands
What they eat
Servals prey on rodents, hares, small antelopes and birds
IUCN status
North African Serval: Endangered
All other Servals: Least concern
