Manja, The Rare Melanistic Serval Cat Roams The Serengeti In Tanzania
Servals are wildcats that usually sport a cheetah-like coat with black spots, bands and stripes. But some dark-furred individuals can occur due to melanism, which is a unique trait carried by a recessive gene that causes excess production of the dark-colored pigment melanin in skin, feathers, and hair. Although serval cats are found in most African countries south of the Sahara, there are only four known locations on the east of the continent where one might come across a population of black servals.
Some sightings of black servals from Kenya and Tanzania have provided further evidence that there is in fact a healthy population of these unusually colored cats hiding out in the grasslands in East Africa. However, servals are notoriously elusive, so it can be a tricky task to determine exactly how many melanistic cats are roaming East Africa. It is said that if a black cat crosses one’s path, this can bring misfortune. Indeed, black cats have often been regarded as a bad omen, and have been associated with witchcraft and evil. Nonetheless, spotting a melanistic serval cat in the wild is actually more like a stroke of good luck.
Manja, a gorgeous melanistic serval cat, was sighted in the grasslands of Namiri Plains in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The black serval cat is named “Manja” after the guide and naturalist of Asilia Africa (a safari company) who was the first to spot him.
“In nearly 40 years and 50+ visits to this wonderful dark continent, never would I have thought such a sight possible. It’s difficult at the best of times to locate your normal “garden variety” serval, so finding this small cat was never going to be a simple task, and one I specifically spent 3 weeks tracking. Such a rare and special treat to witness this magical small predator hunting, gotta love those piercing golden eyes!” the photographer mentioned on his blog.
