All the better to hear prey with!

One of the first things you may notice about a serval is their large ears. Servals have extremely sensitive hearing. They can even hear a rodent in its burrow underground! But they are not only on the lookout for rodents like mice and rats. Servals will also occasionally hunt birds, young antelope, lizards and insects.

Servals are mostly solitary. They mark their territories by spraying urine and scratching the bark of trees. They will also communicate to other servals with shrill cries, growls and purrs.

At the Zoo

Masters of hide and seek

There is one serval at Auckland Zoo:

• Shani, a female, was born at Boise Zoo, USA and arrived at Auckland Zoo in 2014.

The serval can often be difficult to spot in the habitat. Take your time to look for her. The habitat has lots of long grasses and bushes to hide in, just like in the wild. Our keepers also provide the serval with a variety of small dens for shelter. Like many cats, the serval spends a lot of time resting. Serval are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. If she is not active, look in the sunny sheltered areas of the habitat. Remember, serval have great camouflage, so you have to keep your eyes peeled.

In the wild

Origin: Morocco, Algeria and most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert

Habitat: Freshwater wetland habitats with tall grass. Densely vegetated banks provide ideal habitat for hunting prey.

Conservation status: Least concern (IUCN)

While there is a relatively low risk of extinction as a species overall, there are some areas where serval populations are more at risk. The biggest threat they face is wetland habitat loss and degradation, due to the abundance of suitable prey (rodents) in these habitats.

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