SERVAL CAT:

DO NOT CONFUSE SERVAL CAT WITH CHEETAH, READ THIS TO KNOW SERVAL CAT BETTER

By Maritim kipngetich

A number of people can easily mistake serval cat, cheetah and a leopard. This is not surprising since many

A photo of serval cat taken at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (Photo courtesy)

people identify different types of animals using the colour of their skin. Well, for the people who do not know what the serval cat is, then you must read this article so that you may distinguish the animal from other animals that are closely similar in body size and skin colour with it.

As the name suggests, serval “cat”, the animal is a medium-sized cat with long legs and relatively short tail. The head is small in relation to the body, and the tall, oval ears are set close together. The pattern of the fur is variable. Usually, the serval is boldly spotted black on tawny, with two or four stripes from the top of the head down the neck and back, transitioning into spots.

The toes are elongated and they are mobile and this assists the serval cat while hunting. Its ears are large and they possess high sense of hearing.

Servals are commonly found in Africa and especially at the South Saharan region. They used to exist in Tunisia and Algeria but they got extinct. They are currently found in some parks in East African countries but in less number. For instance according to Dr George Nyabuga, an environmentalist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi, serval cat was once found in Mt Longonot and people killed it.

“People could not differentiate the animal (serval cat) with leopard and they killed it. They thought it was harmful; the animal is just like cat and can be kept as a pet,” Dr Nyabuga said.

It is said that people kill the animal in order to use its skin to make pelts. Pelts from the animal’s skin have a longer lifespan.

The animal was mainly eliminated by hunters and leopards also feed on them.

Dr Nyabuga said there are only two serval cats at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.

The animal can give birth once in a year and it suckles its kitten for four months before they leave it to be independent. More often than not the animal gives birth to two kittens and sometimes it can give birth to four kittens but in rare cases.

The animal has a high-pitched voice that they use as a contact call. They hiss and spit when angry or frightened.

The animal mainly looks for food in grasses and they climb trees when they realize it is in danger. It uses its ears to locate the prey. It feeds on birds, frogs, rats and waterfowl; it is carnivore, mainly feeds on flesh. They normally come out of their hiding places at night to hunt for food.

When one looks at the behaviours, habitat, skin colour and the feeding style of the serval cat, it is more less the same as that of normal cats. However, the difference is that the serval cat is a wild cat.