Camera Trap Survey in Tanzania Captures First Servaline Servals

A comprehensive camera trap survey conducted over the past year in western Tanzania has produced an astounding 150,000 images showcasing rare wildlife, including the first confirmed sightings of servals exhibiting the unusual servaline morph. Panthera Tanzania carried out this survey, utilizing more than 300 camera traps across an area comparable to Cape Verde. Among the captured species were lions, leopards, bushbabies, aardwolves, bat-eared foxes, and springhares. The servaline servals, characterized by their smaller, freckle-like spots, were photographed in the Luganzo-Tongwe and Ugalla Game Reserves. Dr. Charlotte Searle, Senior Ecologist & Data Specialist at Panthera Tanzania, highlighted the rarity of this morph, with only a handful of records from the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The survey also recorded rare melanistic genets and highlighted conservation challenges, as lion populations in these reserves are below sustainable levels, threatened by snares, vehicle collisions, and human encroachment.