MUST WATCH: Rare wild cat knocked over and killed on the N11
The motorist was initially under the impression it was a leopard at first.
N11 – A rare wild cat was knocked over and killed on the N11, Ladysmith bound, earlier this morning, May 23.
According to the motorist who knocked the wild cat down, he had been heading out of Newcastle shortly after 3am when he struck it with his car.
“It ran across the road and before I could slow down or swerve, I hit it,” he said.
The motorist was initially under the impression it was a leopard at first.
However, Angus Burns, Manager of the World Wildlife Federation Grasslands Protection Programme, identified the wild cat as a serval.
A serval is a slender built cat, standing at 500mm at the shoulders. Its back, flanks and tail are covered with a golden brown coat, with black stripes down the spine and black spots on the flank and tail.
In the incident where the serval was knocked over, it was the spots which caused the motorist to suspect the feline was a leopard.
The serval’s preferred habitat is moist, tall grasslands, often associated with wetlands. Because of its preference to grasslands, it is found most commonly in the Northern Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Lesotho.
While larger than the ordinary house cat, the serval is not dangerous to humans, as it prefers a diet of birds, frogs, insects, rodents and small reptiles.
As the feline is considered rare in the South African Red Data Book, motorists are encouraged to drive with caution when travelling out of Newcastle and surrounding areas.
