A couple of servals in Serengeti. No caracals (yet).

Hi Geoff,

Kanawe spotted serval by the spillway on three different mornings. Honey badger (my first and only) also by the spillway when i was at Zibalianja.

Hari

forgot .... porcupine too!!! i was doing the spotlight that evening from the front seat and he spotted it.

We saw a serval in the Mara and also a mother serval with kitten in Tarangire. (Sadly, they were some of the only animals we didn't get a good picture of, thanks to slow reaction in one case and tall grass in the other.)

My caracal sightings: little Vumbura (3) + Duba Plains (1).

Planning a trip around these animals is tricky and will probably end with frustration.

Those are small mammal predators and will proliferate in areas where there is solid masses of ground cover, like moribund grasses.

Therefor your best chances of sightings would be in any biome that has enjoyed excessive rainfall. So pick the destination based on the rain and subsequent grass growth. Travel a month or two into the dry season and ensure that where you visit that you have access to the wilderness after dark and you should be rewarded with healthy sightings.

Case in point sabi sands in May after the Feb/Mar 2000 floods... excellent sightings of Wild Cat through Serval and Lynx.

We were lucky enough to see a caracal hunt a hyrax in broad daylight in the Serengeti in July. It was about 5pm. outside the lodge where they do the balloon flights from - Serena? Quite a few of the staff came out to watch this hunt.
Hope you enjoy the pics

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/7634611

Hamishbear,

I remember when you originally posted that awesome event. Great pictures, indeed.

Halpaed,

What did you decide on?

Hi Lynne,

Thanks for remembering and great photos above. After much and I mean much deliberation we looked at Kwando/Deception Valley / The Mara incl conservancy areas and then came across a trip in South Africa that is based around a leopard conservation project which clinched it when the airfare prices to Botswana became ridiculous (from the UK).

This involves capturing images with fixed cameras overnight to gather info data on the animals that move through the valley (and their proximity to livestock which is the key behind the project). And yes - you guessed it - caracals and servals are present.

Also we are tracking a collared leopard on my birthday on foot, which has been high on my wish list for a long time. We are also visiting two projects where we should see Caracal, Serval and Black footed cats. Along with a trip to Kruger and Sabi for 2 nights

The Kwando trip is our aim next time.

Anyway we leave on Thursday and we can hardly wait. You know how it is, coming home to more last minute parcels that need collecting for all those just in case items.

We were fortunate to see a caracal and her kitten at Little Vumbura. There is a beautiful caracal with stunning green eyes at the Washington Zoo. I'm hesitant to even mention 'the Z-word', but the Washington Zoo does have a highly successful breeding program for cheetah (complete with 'cheetah cam'). Nothing beats safari life, but there is some value in getting to study the cats up close in other settings.

halpaed,
Best of luck in your search for Serval and Caracal... You MUST post a report and pictures when you return! All of us cat lovers will be waiting for it!

rickmck

Happy birthday in advance Halpaed!

No caracal sightings yet, but had serval sightings twice in Serengeti -- the best one was as we were leaving the park on our way to Ndutu and stopped at the gate to use the loo -- a serval was hunting rodents right next to the facilities! Of course neither DH nor I had our cameras on us at that particular moment and the serval disappeared very quickly, but it was still a great sighting. What a beautiful cat. Note to self: never separate self from camera, even when going to the ladies' room.

If you go to Kwando you will have great sightings, but no one can guarantee caracal or even serval.

2 Caracals at Kwando Lebala
5 Servals at Lebala
3 Servals at Kwando Kwara (1 being kileed by Lions daytime).

Michael

sniktawk, I just checked out your pics. Your serval kittens made me cry.

I agree with Bill, you've been holding out on us. I never even knew you had a site with pics, let alone such a good site with such great shots.

Lisa,

Thank you very much, the shots were as always down to luck. Even though it was in the Mara there were no more than 10 vehicles in all.