Trail cameras capture rare footage of elusive African serval kittens, a cat that looks like a 'stretched out cheetah'

Servals are wild cats from Africa. National Geographic describes them as looking like "cheetahs who stretched out after a nap and just decided to stay that way." These spotted cats have long legs and necks. They live in the grasslands, wetlands, and forests of central and southern Africa.

Servals are excellent hunters. They use their long legs and big ears to see over tall grasses. They can leap high into the air and run up to 50 miles per hour. While not endangered, servals are hard to study because they are shy and elusive. New footage might change that.

Rare Serval Kittens Spotted

Over the last year, researchers from Panthera, a big cat conservation group, set up more than 300 camera traps in western Tanzania. These cameras captured 150,000 photos. They showed lions, leopards, and other smaller mammals. Some of these smaller animals were recorded in the area for the first time.

One exciting discovery was footage of a serval with a rare coat pattern. This "servaline" morph was recorded for the first time in Tanzania. Dr. Charlotte Searle, a senior ecologist with Panthera Tanzania, explained that they saw two types of servals. There were normal servals with black spots and servaline servals with smaller, freckle-like spots.

Both types are the same species. However, the servaline morph is much rarer. Previous records came from the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The new photos from Luganzo-Tongwe and Ugalla Game Reserves are the first confirmed records of this color morph in Tanzania. Searle noted that seeing any serval is lucky, so seeing a servaline serval was "really something special."

Protecting Big Cats

The camera trap study aimed to learn more about big cats in the Luganzo-Tongwe and Ugalla reserves. Panthera works with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority to protect species like lions and leopards there.

Researchers found that lion populations in the area are threatened by bushmeat snares, vehicle strikes, and human activity. Leopard populations looked a bit better. Panthera believes both species can recover if these threats are addressed now.

Camera traps offer valuable insights into all wildlife in an area. Searle said the animals in western Tanzania are skittish because they are not used to people. This makes in-person sightings difficult. Camera traps are unobtrusive and can stay in the field for months. They reveal new and exciting information that people would likely not see otherwise.

In 2025, Panthera's cameras also documented rare melanistic genets and bushbabies. They confirmed the presence of several species not previously known to be in the area. Searle noted that this shows how much more there is to learn about Africa's wildlife.

Trail cameras are crucial for conservation research. They help experts collect clear images and data on rare and elusive species. Panthera began working in Tanzania in 2025. These findings will add to a larger body of research supporting the region's wildlife.

Searle explained that the data from these surveys helps establish baselines for lion and leopard populations. By repeating these surveys, they can monitor how these species respond to conservation efforts and threats. This ensures their work is effective and based on evidence.