Servals are medium-sized African wild cats with exceptional hearing and leaping ability. Meeting their behavioural needs in zoo settings requires careful attention to their predatory and exploratory drives.
Servals in inadequate zoo or private captive settings show stereotypic pacing that can occupy hours of each day — a clear indicator of chronic frustration of their movement and predatory needs. Their leap-and-strike hunting style requires space and vertical complexity that small enclosures cannot provide. In zoos with well-designed naturalistic enclosures including tall grass areas, elevated platforms, and regular enrichment sessions featuring live or scent-enriched prey items, servals show excellent behavioural diversity and low stereotypy rates. Servals kept as pets almost invariably suffer significant welfare compromise.