Serval, what’s in a name?

Serval, what’s in a name?

 

When I visited the Masai Mara for the first time in 2013 this Serval was the first animal I saw, barely 5 minutes away from the airstrip. You could say I was immensely lucky. It was also pretty relaxed allowing us to get close enough for portrait shots. I can state for a fact that it was certainly more calm and collected than me. I was trembling with sheer excitement!

Did you know that the name Serval derives from a Portuguese word meaning “wolf-deer”? Speaking about names, the French military operation in Northern Mali was named after this cat: Opération Serval.

Techs: Canon 7D | Canon 300 2.8 L IS II | f3.5 | 1/320 | ISO 100