IN SEARCH OF SERVAL
In Search of Serval
It's pretty easy to meet a lion during safari if you know where to look. Guides or national parks employees usually know the areas inhabited by each of the lion prides. The same goes for leopards. Sure, it’s a little more difficult to find a leopard as the cat is very secretive and cautious, but it's still quite possible. Cheetah’s roundabouts are in most cases known to scientists and rangers, because its population continues to decline, making each one of them special and important.
So, one way or another, all large African cats can be tracked down. Due to their size, mostly. With small cats, the situation is completely different. In tall savannah grass, that can grow up to one and a half meters, it’s practically impossible to catch sight of an animal whose size is comparable to the size of a domestic cat.
The serval is a cat that neither possesses lion strength, nor cheetah speed, nor leopard bite force. Additionally, it regularly becomes a victim of the latter, which is why the animal has to be especially careful and stealthy. This makes searching for a serval a wondrous mission. One of the people on the task is Zoographia magazine photographer Alex Osokin, working at Masai Mara National Park in Kenya.
“For all my many years of experience in Maasai Mara, I have seen servals about ten times. Most often than not this highly timid cat ran away, it set off so fast i couldn’t even get my camera out. I also regularly met them at night, which is, as you know, not the best time to take pictures.
I managed to photograph the serval a few times, but those shots weren’t the most beautiful or exciting. At some point I started to think that this little cat was simply challenging me. And I took the challenge.
I had to spend several days searching for a future model. I examined all the places my colleagues and I came across servals in the past, which promised to be productive as these cats lead a “settled” lifestyle and rarely move away from their “home" territory. However, it was crucial to not only find an animal, but to find it in a place it could be photographed at. Fortunately, we managed to locate such a serval.
The next morning before sunrise I arrived at the spot we had picked. It was a small glade surrounded by dense bushes. The grass was low enough, with occasional bald spots – almost a perfect place for a serval to hunt small birds. The spot i chose for myself had a view of the entire clearing, and while the wind was blowing in my direction no human smell could give me away. I laid low and prepared to wait. The serval has acute hearing, so it was extremely important not to make any sounds at all.
So, one way or another, all large African cats can be tracked down. Due to their size, mostly. With small cats, the situation is completely different. In tall savannah grass, that can grow up to one and a half meters, it’s practically impossible to catch sight of an animal whose size is comparable to the size of a domestic cat.
The serval is a cat that neither possesses lion strength, nor cheetah speed, nor leopard bite force. Additionally, it regularly becomes a victim of the latter, which is why the animal has to be especially careful and stealthy. This makes searching for a serval a wondrous mission. One of the people on the task is Zoographia magazine photographer Alex Osokin, working at Masai Mara National Park in Kenya.
“For all my many years of experience in Maasai Mara, I have seen servals about ten times. Most often than not this highly timid cat ran away, it set off so fast i couldn’t even get my camera out. I also regularly met them at night, which is, as you know, not the best time to take pictures.
I managed to photograph the serval a few times, but those shots weren’t the most beautiful or exciting. At some point I started to think that this little cat was simply challenging me. And I took the challenge.
I had to spend several days searching for a future model. I examined all the places my colleagues and I came across servals in the past, which promised to be productive as these cats lead a “settled” lifestyle and rarely move away from their “home" territory. However, it was crucial to not only find an animal, but to find it in a place it could be photographed at. Fortunately, we managed to locate such a serval.
The next morning before sunrise I arrived at the spot we had picked. It was a small glade surrounded by dense bushes. The grass was low enough, with occasional bald spots – almost a perfect place for a serval to hunt small birds. The spot i chose for myself had a view of the entire clearing, and while the wind was blowing in my direction no human smell could give me away. I laid low and prepared to wait. The serval has acute hearing, so it was extremely important not to make any sounds at all.
With the first rays of the sun, as i expected, a serval came out of the bushes. It was a young female. The cat looked around, washed her face and, despite the seemingly leisured expression on the muzzle, began its watch out for a prey.
I was ecstatic — the beautiful serval, the soft morning light, the strong wind, that hid clicks of my camera from the cat’s sensitive ears — these were the ideal shooting conditions that one can only dream of…"
Alex pointed out that the serval has very sharp hearing. That’s because the cat has the biggest ears among its kind. Compared to the rest of the body, of course. Alex also marked, that the animal is difficult to photograph due to its speed. And it’s a fact — in times of danger or when hunting the serval is able to accelerate up to 80 km/ h, all due to its long paws. The long paws also help the predator hunt birds — the height of its jump reaches three meters. In addition to birds, the serval's diet includes hares, rodents and insects. Servals do not catch fish, although they swim well.
The serval has it all to stay unnoticed, including its fur colour, which allows the animal to blend in with the grass. And yet, thanks to the efforts of our photographer, we can admire the beauty of this lovely cat…
I was ecstatic — the beautiful serval, the soft morning light, the strong wind, that hid clicks of my camera from the cat’s sensitive ears — these were the ideal shooting conditions that one can only dream of…"
Alex pointed out that the serval has very sharp hearing. That’s because the cat has the biggest ears among its kind. Compared to the rest of the body, of course. Alex also marked, that the animal is difficult to photograph due to its speed. And it’s a fact — in times of danger or when hunting the serval is able to accelerate up to 80 km/ h, all due to its long paws. The long paws also help the predator hunt birds — the height of its jump reaches three meters. In addition to birds, the serval's diet includes hares, rodents and insects. Servals do not catch fish, although they swim well.
The serval has it all to stay unnoticed, including its fur colour, which allows the animal to blend in with the grass. And yet, thanks to the efforts of our photographer, we can admire the beauty of this lovely cat…