A serval came across four cheetahs in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve recently and the atmosphere tensed visibly as the cats sized each other up.
Gavin Newfield captured this rare encounter and spoke to Latest Sightings. ‘My girlfriend tapped my shoulder, “is that a caracal?” … I told my girlfriend that her sights were firmly stuck on a serval, something neither of us had seen before.’
‘Four cheetahs, a serval and a “buffalo” [later realising it was a wildebeest] characterized what I consider to be the greatest sighting of my life so far,’ Newfield continued. ‘It was an incredible sighting.’
The serval got the attention of one cheetah that approached it, and a hissing match ensued. The serval backed away and the cheetah continued to inch closer. The bigger cat then seemed to lose interest and the serval got its escape.
The cheetahs ran off to chase the nearby wildebeest lurking in the grass.
Take a look at the two beautiful cats in action:
Picture: Screenshot fo video
