Serval hunting in South Africa

Serval are a beautifully light golden yellow spotted, slender, medium size cat with a small rounded head, large ears and long legs. They could be confused with a young Cheetah. Serval are solitary nocturnal hunters feeding on rodents, reptiles, birds and rabbits, sometimes seen at dawn or dusk and can be bumped anytime while hunting in long grass near a permanent water supply. Serval are widely distributed throughout the grassland habitats of the northern and eastern parts of the country. The best provinces for hunting Serval are Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. It is legal to hunt a Serval at night with a spotlight provided you have a night hunting permit or hunting on an exempt property. Servals are best hunted in short grass fields when feeding on rats and mice under the cover of darkness. In provinces like the Free State, Serval may be hunted with trained dogs. Classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, this species is now extinct in the southern parts of the country. A Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) permit is required prior to any animal being hunted from the South African Nature Conservation authorities.