Servals are medium-sized African wild cats increasingly taken for the exotic pet trade. Their welfare in captivity is compromised by their nature as specialized hunters.
Serval welfare in captivity is fundamentally compromised by their specialization. Wild servals have enormous home ranges, hunt small mammals actively, and use their extraordinary hearing to locate prey underground and under vegetation. Captive environments cannot provide the movement, sensory complexity, or hunting opportunity these animals need. Even well-intentioned private owners cannot meet serval welfare needs. Animals surrendered from pet situations typically show severe behavioral abnormalities from inappropriate socialization and confinement. The welfare argument against the serval pet trade is strong regardless of legality.