uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
Wildlife
Serval
Leptailurus serval
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild cat native to Africa.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records449 records
Curve from 449 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where Serval is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
449 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Serval
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Nottingham Road
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Jaci's Lodge Trust
From R 31,500 a night
Penwarn Farm
Underberg
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Blesbok · Serval
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 3 others
From R 1,200 a night
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Tanda Tula Safari Camp
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Dulini Moya
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leadwood · Leopard
Gives back to DAKTARI Bush School
From R 28,990 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Heritage View Birding Retreat
Delareyville
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Brown hyena · Black backed jackal
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,000 a night
Tandweni Villa
Mkuze
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · African elephant · Cape buffalo
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 14,000 a night
Lion Sands Tinga Lodge
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Cobham
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Southern rock agama · Tree fuchsia
From R 190 a night
Garden Castle
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Southern rock agama · Cape heath
From R 190 a night
Lion Sands Narina Lodge
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Monk's Cowl
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Real yellowwood · Chacma baboon
From R 130 a night
Kamberg
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Tree fuchsia · Black wildebeest
From R 840 a night
Hinkwenu Villa, Lion Sands
Kruger National Park
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Lotheni
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Southern rock agama · Common eland
From R 270 a night
Highmoor
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Serval recorded here · Grassland biome · Real yellowwood · Chacma baboon
From R 200 a night
Lion Sands River Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
The Elephant Coast
Next stop
iSimangaliso wetlands, sand forest, and Sodwana reefs
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Serval
Hosts have recorded the Serval at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Kruger | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- First and last hours of daylight. The Serval moves and hunts in the cool.
- Midday, resting. Usually lying up in shade and hard to spot.
- After dark, on a night drive. Where the reserve or park offers one.
Where to base yourself
KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · Giants Castle
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveSelf-driveStays in KwaZulu-NatalLimpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaBig FiveGuided drivesStays in Mpumalanga
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeBig FiveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Species
Leptailurus serval
Records
449
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Serval on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Serval in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Serval at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Gondwana Game Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Serval in South Africa?
The Serval is most recorded in Gauteng (26% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (20% of records), Mpumalanga (18% of records), based on 449 iNaturalist observations. 51 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Serval on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Serval?
The Serval is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Serval?
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild cat native to Africa. It is rare in North Africa and the Sahel, but widespread in sub-Saharan countries except rainforest regions. On the IUCN Red List it is listed as Least Concern. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in range countries.