Serval - Cheetah Outreach

Ambassador to raise awareness for the Serval and other small predators on South African farmland. Highlights the importance of the Livestock Guarding Dog Program which results in the removal of shooting, snares, traps and poison in African farms.

Baggins was born at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre on 17 February 2007 and joined Cheetah Outreach at three weeks of age as a serval Ambassador. His role at Cheetah Outreach is to show visitors the different adaptations African cats have to specific niches in the environment. Like a good 17 years old majestic gentleman, he still keeps the handlers on full alert.

The serval is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, known for its distinctive appearance and unique hunting behavior.

They have a slender and long-legged build, with a coat that is typically golden-yellow with black spots and stripes. They have large, rounded ears with distinctive white markings on the back that resemble eyespots.

Servals are adaptable to various habitats, including grasslands, savannas, and wetlands.

Liberty was born to our servals Baggins and Legacy at Cheetah Outreach on 21 October 2014. He was hand-raised from a week old and has grown fondly on everyone’s heart. With a sweet and spirited temperament , the bad weather is one of the things that makes him a lil’ bit more grumpy.

Servals are primarily carnivorous and have a diet that includes a variety of prey such as rodents, birds, insects, and small mammals. They are known for their exceptional jumping ability and use it to catch birds in mid-air.

They are skilled hunters, using their acute hearing to locate prey in the grass. They are known for their unique hunting technique called “pounce-hunting,” where they leap into the air and use their forelimbs to bat down on prey hidden in the grass.

In some regions, servals have been kept as exotic pets. However, keeping them as pets poses challenges due to their specific dietary and environmental needs, and it is often discouraged due to ethical and conservation concerns.

Servals play a vital role in their ecosystems by helping control rodent populations, and their unique adaptations make them well-suited to their natural habitats.