A Striking Photo of a Very Rare Black Serval Cat

While shooting from the Asilia Namiri Plains Camp in Tanzania, British wildlife photographer George Turner captured a striking photo of an incredibly rare serval who was completely covered in black fur. According to Turner’s guide, the serval was given the name of “Manja”.

The serval is a small wild cat native to Africa and are normally spotted in color, but melanism does occur. These cats are very secretive and solitary, so capturing a shot of one, with or without melanism, out in the open is an extreme rarity.

The black serval. Can’t describe how mind-blowing this was… and still is.? For context, even seeing a “normal” serval is tough. They’re shy, secretive cats that tend to live in tall grasses — the perfect combination for staying unnoticed. Every time I’ve been privileged enough to see them, my heart skips a beat. ?…Nobody *really* knows why melanism occurs in servals. Some think the increased altitude (and forested habitat that comes with it) reduces exposure to daylight, encouraging melanism.

via Neatorama

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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