Month: February 2026

The ISPCA contacted us regarding an African serval that had been discovered in someone’s garden. The animal’s origin and background remain unknown; however, at the time he was captured, he was severely emaciated (proven he is not able to fend for himself therefore the animals Is not able to live in the wild). He was subsequently taken in to another place where he responded well to appropriate care and gained weight steadily. His name is Zeus and he is 3 years old. 

The exotic pet trade in Ireland remains poorly regulated. There is currently no specific legislation prohibiting the breeding or ownership of servals, and enforcement around illegal exotic pet ownership can be inconsistent. This lack of regulation often results in animals being kept in unsuitable environments, with serious welfare consequences. 

Since arriving with us, the serval has settled in well. Our animal care team has been working carefully to build his confidence and reduce stress, and he has shown positive progress, including a strong appetite and improving condition. He is still in quarantine buy seems to be in good health (and has a great appitite, eating everything from rodents to fish to quail to organs!)

A significant welfare concern associated with servals being kept as pets is that they are not domesticated animals. They retain strong wild instincts, including powerful claws and teeth, which makes them unsuitable for life in a domestic setting.

 A further issue within the exotic pet trade is the breeding of servals with domestic cats to produce ” Savannah cats”. This practice raises serious welfare concerns; the size difference alone can make breeding distressing, and a large proportion of kittens do not survive. 

The serval is now safe in our care. We are using his story as an opportunity to educate the public about the realities of the exotic pet trade and why exotic animals are not appropriate pets. These animals are wild by nature and require specialised environments that allow them to express natural behaviours essential to their physical and psychological wellbeing. Servals can jump up to 12ft, this is their hunting tecnique, so keeping him in is a job in itself. It requires special fencing. 

For those who wish to help servals and other wild species, the most effective action is to avoid engaging with or promoting social media content that normalises exotic animals as pets — for example, videos of “pet” otters or other wild animals portrayed as cute companions — as this demand directly fuels the exotic pet trade.