Serval & Bengal
Meet Mayhem and Chaos, the inseparable best friends of Animal Tracks Sanctuary. Mayhem, a resilient serval cat, and Chaos, a senior Bengal, share a bond that has carried them through life’s challenges. Both rescued from difficult situations, they now spend their days together in comfort and care at our sanctuary. Their friendship reminds us that love and companionship are powerful forces in healing. We present them together, just as they are — two souls who found solace in each other.
ORDER: Carnivora
FAMILY: Felidae
GENUS: Leptailurus
SPECIES: Serval
Servals are the mid-size cat (25 to 40 lbs.) of Africa, known for their long legs, small head, long neck, and large ears. They are most active at dawn and dusk and live a solitary life unless it is a mother with kittens. These cats are territorial and great jumpers, six feet high from a stand still. This jumping ability is a big part of their hunting strategy. They sit quietly listening with their giant ears for things like rats, mice, gophers, frogs, reptiles, and birds and then jump surprising their prey. Because of this jumping ability, they have a higher than average hunting success rate. Servals are pregnant for approximately 70 days producing 2 to 4 kittens a litter. They stay behind while mama goes out alone to hunt for them, and at about 3 months, start to join her to hone their hunting instincts. The kittens start with insects and work their way up the food chain. They stay with her for about a year before she pushes them out to find their own territory. This can often be tough on the male kittens as she must chase them far away to avoid inbreeding.
Threats
Hyenas, leopards, hunting dogs, fur trade, bushmeat and pet trade.
Conservation Status
LC - Least Concern