‘Savannah stalkers’ released in iSimangaliso
iSimangaliso Wetland Park, was chosen as the ideal sanctuary for two servals released by iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis and Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre
THE largest protected area of coastal grasslands and savannah in South Africa, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, was chosen as the ideal sanctuary for two servals released by iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis and Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday.
Emdoneni owners Louis and Cecillie Nel were present at the release.
The pair was born in captivity in January last year at the Emdoneni Lodge, a certified rehabilitation centre based near Hluhluwe.
‘They remained with their mother until the age of 12 months and have since been totally isolated from the public,’ said Cecillie.
‘They are completely wild and can hunt for themselves. Their mother, on the other hand, remains in our protection at Emdoneni because she was hand reared and has no fear of humans.
‘She was rescued as a kitten when her own mother died from a snakebite.’
PHOTOS: Larry Bentley
Historic occurring species
‘It marks another step towards completing the circle in iSimangaliso’s drive to re-establish viable populations of historically occurring species,’ said Zaloumis.
‘Ultimately, our goal is to establish a park robust enough to endure for the next generation – not only the survival of a threatened species.’
Nine serval have been successfully released in iSimangaliso on previous occasions – in the uMkhuze, Eastern Shores and Western Shores sections.
The resident animals are thriving.
Little is known about the African serval (Leptailurus serval), but they are an intriguing species.
Their exceptional hunting skills have earned them the reputation as ‘savannah stalkers’.
The second fastest cat after the cheetah, servals are remarkably successful hunters and catch their intended victims about 50% of the time as opposed to other cats that succeed around 20% of the time.
They are strong, slender and have the longest legs of all cats relative to their size, making them one of the tallest cats, with longer hind- than forelegs.
The head is small in relation to the body, and tall, oval ears are set close together.
The pattern of fur is variable and no two are identical.
DNA results indicate that serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal.
Their average lifespan is 10 years in the wild, while the longest living captive African serval reached 23 years of age.
The serval is sometimes preyed upon by leopard and other large cats, but their numbers have dwindled largely owing to human population taking over their habitat and hunting them for their pelts.
In South Africa, serval are listed as a Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) and as such are subject to rigorous legislation to ensure their welfare and survival.
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