Serval (Leptailurus serval) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Breeding in managed care

• Breed well in managed care
  • The Feline Conservation Federation (FCF), an organization of private cat holders, records approximately 200 servals held by their members. (Breitbeil 2002)

Hybrids

• Servals can hybridize with African wild cats (Felis lybica)
  • These species share a preference for riverine habitats (Smithers 1978)
• "Savannah cats" result from crosses of domestic cats with servals
  • Hybrids often sterile
  • Pregnant females have difficulties due to species differences in gestation time: (Breitbeil 2002) 
    • Domestic cat - 65 days
    • Serval - 65-75 days

Current population (from ZIMS 2015)

• San Diego Zoo
• 6 individuals, as of April 1, 2015
• 4 males, 2 females
• San Diego Zoo Safari Park
• 6 individuals, as of April 1, 2015
• 3 males, 3 females

Serval at the Thoiry Zoo in France.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Public Domain by Vassil.

Breitbeil (2002)