Serval hunting as part of a game hunting safari needs to be planned in advance to allow for the allocation of a special permit. In South Africa, the serval is found in parts of the Northern Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Lesotho. Its conservation status is listed by the IUCN, as “least concern.”

Servals (Leptailurus serval), also known as a “tierboskat” (tiger bush cat) in the local Afrikaans language, are commonly found on savannas where there is plenty of water. They prefer areas comprising bush, tall grass, and dry reed beds near streams. They also live in high-altitude moorlands and bamboo thickets.

When hunting, a serval’s long legs come into play as they reach up to 50 miles per hour on a hunt! Their hearing is exceptional, allowing them to hear prey burrowing underground. Their diet consists of rodents, birds, rabbits, and reptiles, with small prey eaten whole.