Serval

The Serval is a medium-sized African wild cat. They have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size. Servals are common on savannas where there is plenty of water. They prefer areas of bush, tall grass, and dry reed beds near streams, but they are also found in high-altitude moorlands and bamboo thickets. This cat also has the ability to leap vertically and catch prey such as birds, right out of the air. They do this by “clapping” with their front paws together and striking with a downward blow.

Relative to their head size, servals have the largest ears of any cat species — an adaptation that gives them extraordinarily sharp hearing, which they use to pinpoint rodents moving through grass or even underground before pouncing. That hunting method makes servals remarkably successful predators, with one of the highest hunting success rates of any wild cat. They are solitary animals, coming together only to mate. See our serval at Plumpton Park Zoo — plan your visit.