Adelaide Zoo Servals Given a Clean Bill of Health

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: July 28, 2020 4:30 am

Photo Credit: Zoos SA

Two servals have been spotted at Adelaide Zoo as they received their yearly health check. To ensure they are receiving the best care the servals visit the vet each year.

Both servals received the tick of approval from zoo vet, David McLelland.

Photo Credit: Zoos SA

“It’s routine to give all our animals regular health checks. For the Servals this included blood and urine tests, x-rays, ultrasound, a vaccination – the same that vets give to pet cats,” said David.

“Kali, our 13-year-old female was the first of the pair on the table. She was in good health but did show a few arthritic changes associated with her advanced years. We will monitor these carefully.

“One of her teeth was discoloured so she could be a candidate for root canal treatment in the future.

“We also determined that she is carrying a bit of extra weight, so we will work with our animal nutritionist and keepers to adjust her diet.

“Maji the male Serval, who is 16-years-old, was also given a good bill of health. Like Kali he could do with losing a little bit of weight but is otherwise healthy,” finished David.

Photo Credit: Zoos SA

The serval is a small cat which is naturally found in Africa. An average age for the species is 19 years so Kali and Maji are approaching their life expectancy.

While their numbers are stable and they are listed as least concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List they still face a range of threats. These include hunting for the fur and illegal wildlife trade along with habitat destruction.

Servals help to maintain the delicate balance in their wetlands ecosystem. Zoos SA (operators of Adelaide Zoo) work with a number of partners to help save species from extinction.

Learn more about the serval – Serval fact file | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Adelaide Zoo on their website – Adelaide Zoo