Serval Profile: The Long-Legged Wild Cat of East Africa's Wetlands and Grasslands

Servals are smaller than leopards and cheetahs, yet they are among the most successful hunters of any cat. They use hearing more than sight, locate prey beneath the grass and leap high into the air before dropping onto it.

This profile covers how to identify servals, how they live and where visitors are most likely to see one.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

A serval has a slim, tawny body marked with black spots and stripes, a small head with huge rounded ears, long legs and a short ringed tail. In proportion to body size, it has the longest legs of any cat, and its neck is long too. Some individuals are almost entirely black because of melanism, notably in high-altitude areas of Kenya. It is often confused with a cheetah, which is much larger and has tear-stripe marks, or with a caracal, which has tufted ears and a plain coat.

Habitat

Servals depend on water and cover. They are found in reed beds, marsh edges, tall grassland and clearings with access to streams. Dry open plains without cover are avoided, as are dense rainforests. In East Africa they occur from lowland swamps to highland moorland. Because healthy servals indicate healthy wetlands, they matter to conservationists. Drained marshes and burnt grassland can quickly remove them from an area.

Hunting Behaviour

Servals hunt by stalking quietly or standing still with ears swivelling, then leaping up to a couple of metres to land on prey with their front paws. Rodents form the bulk of the diet, supplemented with birds, frogs, reptiles, insects and occasionally hares. Their success rate is unusually high compared with larger cats. They can also leap to snatch birds from the air. They are active in the early morning, evening and at night, but in quiet areas they hunt in daylight.

Social Life and Breeding

Servals are solitary except when mating or raising young. Each adult keeps a home range and marks it with urine and scent. Females give birth in a hidden den, such as dense grass or a burrow, and the kittens stay with her for around a year before dispersing. Servals communicate with purrs, growls, chirps and spitting sounds. They are shy, so sightings are usually brief unless the cat is hunting and distracted.

Threats and Conservation

The serval is not considered globally threatened, but wetland loss, agriculture, poisoning and persecution cause local declines. Skins are sometimes traded and young animals may be taken as pets, which is illegal in many places and harmful to wild populations. Protected areas with undisturbed grassland and marsh are the stronghold of the species. See responsible and conservation travel.

Where to See Servals

Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti are widely regarded as good places for servals, as are the Masai Mara and highland moorlands in Kenya. In Uganda, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Lake Mburo have grassland and wetland habitat where servals live, although sightings are never guaranteed. A night drive, where allowed, improves chances. See night drives and walking safaris.

Viewing Tips

Go out at first light and last light, scan the edges of tall grass and ask your guide to stop and listen. A serval often freezes when watched, so switch off the engine and wait. See the game drives guide for pacing.

Related Species

Compare the serval with the caracal, the big cats and the elusive African golden cat.

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