It’s not every day you see a serval, let alone in broad daylight. For these tourists, their sighting included an exciting stand-off with another rare spotted cat.
Gavin Newfield and Karel Claassen submitted this unusual footage to Latest Sightings. They filmed it while on a game drive in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park.
Snarling serval
As we join Gavin and Karel at the sighting, we see a rarely seen spotted cat: a serval. Immediately, we note that it is in an agitated state.
Looking directly at the camera, the serval is snarling. However, it is not so much the presence of the tourists that is bothering it.
Servals are about twice the size of a domestic cat. They are renowned for the impressive leaps they perform when pouncing on prey in long grass.
Causing a stir
Subsequently, the camera pans to the right. There, we see one of four cheetahs lying in the grass beside the road.
With a fuller picture, we now realise the actual cause of the serval’s agitation.
And the serval is not the only one bothered by their presence. Nearby, a blue wildebeest sounds the alarm.
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Curious cub
Subsequently, the camera pans back to the serval. Only now, we see one of the cheetahs showing interest in the serval.
As it gets closer, the serval adopts a threatening posture by crouching low while spitting and snarling. At this point, we hear their guide comment that it is a young cheetah, hence the curiosity.
Intimidation and submission
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Perhaps because it is not used to other creatures standing their ground, the young cheetah advances cautiously. As it does, the serval turns side-on.
By doing so, it is trying to make itself look bigger and, hopefully, more intimidating. However, the move does little to deter the bigger cat.
Consequently, when the cheetah advances, the serval adopts a more submissive pose by crouching down low to the ground.
Still, the cheetah’s curiosity grows. Despite the serval’s constant warnings, it is more curious than fearful.
When all else fails…
With its various attempts to de-escalate the situation having failed, the serval tries a new approach. When the cheetah takes another step towards it, the smaller cat bravely lashes out.
The sudden move surprises the cheetah, and it immediately backs off.
As is often the case, sometimes the best form of defence is offence. With its confidence now shaken, the cheetah now has second thoughts about pushing the serval any further.
Accordingly, it backs off and returns to its comrades lying in the grass. According to their telling, the serval remained in place until the cheetahs turned their attention to the wildebeest. Only then did it slink off to resume its secretive life in the long grass.
