The ABQ BioPark Says a Peaceful Goodbye to 22-year-old Serval Savanna

The ABQ BioPark animal care team is mourning the passing of beloved African serval Savanna. At 22, Savanna far surpassed the median life expectancy for servals of 13.5 years. She came to the ABQ BioPark at around 4 months old and was hand-raised. This close relationship with her care team gave her the opportunity to become one of our Ambassador Animals. These special animals help connect people with all wildlife and the importance of conservation. For many years she could be spotted taking a walk through the grass on her harness, training with her team, or participating in education programs. Savanna helped to create treasured moments, for guests as well as those who worked with her daily.

Since retiring from her Ambassador role, Savanna has been enjoying cat-naps on the Catwalk. Apart from being treated for age-related arthritis, she’s been living her golden years comfortably. Her favorite activities included rolling around in scent enrichment, chasing toys with her keepers in her habitat, and claiming piles of raked leaves that her keepers were trying to clean up! Because of the close bond Savanna had with our animal care team, they knew right away when her quality of life declined. After consultation with our expert veterinary staff, the decision was made to compassionately euthanize her yesterday. Although the team grieves this loss, a long life of fond memories will keep her near in the hearts of those who knew her best. 

Servals are a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa. There are three subspecies, one of which listed as Endangered by the IUCN and all have seen population decline. Like all wildlife, they suffer from habitat loss, global climate change, and illegal trade for fur or as pets. They are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which seeks to limit trade before a species reaches a threatened status. Servals and their hybrids are not domesticated and should not be kept as pets.