• They have a shy reserved nature; as a result, their habits are often sneaky and secretive.
Image: GARETH JONES
When driving in the Nairobi National Park, always be prepared for those “suddenly” moments when you see something rare or special. Drive with your camera ON and READY! And next to you if possible, slow driving is obviously necessary for good sightings.
Well such a “suddenly’ moment happened about two weeks ago near No 4 junction. We were actually watching some white rhino when I looked behind me and saw a serval emerging from the long green grass.
Wow! What a privilege. The serval then moved into a culvert. I slowly moved the vehicle forward and parked to allow a view down the culvert. Within a minute another serval with two kittens appeared. One of the servals then walked down the culvert towards the road and came out next to our vehicle.
The serval was very calm, and even attempted a brief hunt for rodents. The approach of a number of noisy vehicles resulted in the entire family running away to seek refuge. Wow ! what a rare and special treasured moment.
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a medium-sized African wild cat. Servals have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size. Another distinctive feature of the serval is the presence of large ears and auditory bullae in the skull, indicating a particularly acute sense of hearing.
To see a serval cat anywhere is very special, and the Nairobi National Park is a good place to find them. They have a shy reserved nature; as a result, their habits are often sneaky and secretive.
Next time you are thinking about what to do with recreational time, why not come and spend time in the Nairobi National Park, relax and enjoy taking in the “Soul Tonic” of God’s creation.
The park is open daily from 06h00 to 19h00.
For more information on the park, you can link to the following websites www.kws.org or www.nairobigreenline.org or on Facebook.