A solitary animal, the Serval is less nocturnal than the Caracal and is often seen in daylight. It is nonetheless a night hunter preying upon mice, rats and other rodents, hares, lizards, birds up to the size of a guinea fowl and even small antelopes. It climbs well and will take refuge in trees if threatened by large predators. Kittens, usually two or three, which are colored like the adults, are born in a rock hole, a porcupine's or similar burrow, or in thick scrub and are suckled for up to seven months. They become independent before the end of a year and are able to breed at two years.
Servals can purr and have a high pitched cry usually repeated seven or eight times in succession.
Once very common in suitable terrain in north-west Africa and south of the Sahara, they have been hunted in East Africa for their meat and fur, which was used for traditional cloaks or carosses as well as in the fur trade, and in farming areas for taking domestic fowl. The Serval has disappeared from many areas in the north, west, and the far south. The northern subspecies Felis serval constantina was listed as Endangered in 1980 and the species is listed as Threatened. It is protected in some countries and is found in most of the national parks and reserves within its range. It has bred successfully in zoos.