A VISITOR of a different kind appeared in a St Lucia shop recently, giving shoppers and staff a gentle reminder of the small town’s wild surroundings.
One Sunday morning a serval suddenly ran into the shop, which is located in a busy centre on St Lucia’s main road, and reports of a ‘wild cat’ in town quickly spread.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife veterinarian, Dr Dave Cooper was called to assess the animal and remove it to more natural surroundings.
By then it had taken refuge on a shelf behind the shop counter.
When Cooper arrived, he quickly sedated and assessed the serval’s condition.
The young male was estimated to be under a year in age and in a healthy condition other than a scratch on a paw.
The serval is thought to have been scavenging on the rubbish at the back of a nearby fish restaurant.
Cooper removed the serval and transported it to a remote section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park where other serval have been released and occasionally seen.
‘St Lucia is no stranger to wildlife wandering the streets,’ said Cooper.
‘I have encountered and sometimes treated at least 20 animal species in my years here, including hippo, crocodiles, kudu, hyena and even a young leopard cub that was found eating dog food on somebody’s front veranda.’
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