ISEC Canada member Phil Perry was fortunate to watch this beautiful Serval hunting. It managed to catch three rodents in half an hour. Photo taken in the Shamwari Game Reserve, South Africa.
These long-legged cats are found in well-watered savannah grass habitats of sub Saharan Africa. The serval specializes in small mammals, with 90% of their diet weighing less than 200 grams. They have a characteristic high pounce when hunting which can reach heights of up to two meters high and 4 metres long.
One study found they have a hunting success rate of 49% in almost 2000 pounces. They killed 15-16 times in 24 hours, making 0.8 kills per hour.
That’s a lot of rodents that could have been destroying crops or invading villages. Another very important reason to protect small wild cats!