By Phathizwe Zulu
MANZINI, Eswatini (AA) – In the dense Mambane forest of Eswatini, where the Usuthu gorge cuts through a savannah dotted with cycads and towering cliffs, whispers of the caracal and serval still stir the undergrowth.
For generations, these medium-sized wild cats have inspired both reverence and desire – hunted for food, draped as symbols of pride in royal ceremonies, or pursued for their medicinal value. But today, they are increasingly rare, their survival threatened by human pressures and vanishing habitats.
“The serval’s skin is a prized commodity among the regiments. It is the pride of warriors during sacred royal ceremonies,” explained 78-year-old Elliot Tfwala, a lifelong resident of Mambane.
Raised in a family of hunters, he recalled following his grandfather – famed for leopard hunting – through this same forest. “The caracal is scarce to see, and the serval is not found everywhere either. They only appear in certain parts of the forest,” he said.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) records the caracal’s range stretching from Africa to Türkiye, while the serval is typically distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. Both currently have a conservation status of least concern on the IUCN Red List, with the caracal also at the same threat level on the Red List for South Africa and Eswatini.
“The caracal is considered rare in Eswatini and probably threatened by now,” said Themba Mahlaba, associate professor of biology at the University of Eswatini. “The serval is supposedly widespread, but sightings have become very rare lately.”
Their ecological importance is clear: caracals and servals regulate populations of smaller species like rodents, lizards, and birds, while also serving as prey for larger predators such as hyenas, leopards, and African wild dogs.
Servals thrive in wet grasslands and along riverbanks, where their water-resistant coats and swimming ability set them apart from domestic cats. Their diets range from squirrels and mole rats to snakes and frogs. Caracals, with stronger jaws, prefer the drier savannah, hunting small antelopes, rodents, and birds.
But predators seldom coexist peacefully. “This could explain why these wild cats are difficult to find where other carnivores like leopards are present,” Mahlaba added.
- Habitat loss and climate pressures
Together, servals and caracals embody the delicate balance of Eswatini’s ecosystems – a balance that is being reshaped by habitat loss.
“One of the biggest threats facing mesocarnivores like caracals and servals is shrinking habitat, whether due to human activity or climate change,” Mahlaba told Anadolu. “Predators’ populations depend on food availability. If rodent numbers are high, serval populations can rise. But when the environment shifts – say it becomes drier – that will favor the caracal, while disadvantaging the serval.”
The Felidae Conservation Fund echoes these concerns, citing deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion as drivers of population decline. The loss of wetlands and grasslands has forced servals to adapt quickly, sometimes in surprising ways.
A 2024 study led by researcher Fortune Ravhuanzwo at South Africa’s Fort Hare University found that servals were thriving near a petrochemical plant. “This is likely because of the high population of rodents there and low populations of larger carnivores in the area,” the study concluded.
- Cultural ties and conservation dilemmas
For communities, the cats remain entwined with tradition.
In Eswatini, serval skins are still worn by regiments at royal ceremonies, and wild meat has long been part of rural diets. Yet community leaders are increasingly aware that unregulated hunting poses a risk not just to the cats, but to cultural heritage itself.
At Mambane, the Phondweni Eco-Tourism Project is spearheading local conservation. Chairperson Sipho Mazibuko explained that the initiative covers forest areas spanning Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa.
“We decided to take the initiative to protect our wildlife and the endemic trees like cycads because of illegal hunting and harvesting of medicinal plants for commercial purposes in the cities,” Mazibuko said.
Community education, he added, has helped curb destructive practices. “Villagers still access traditional medicine for household use, but the commercial trade has been stopped.”
For Eswatini’s servals and caracals, survival depends on whether ecological stewardship can outweigh cultural demand and environmental pressures. Hunters like Tfwala acknowledge that these cats are harder to find than in decades past, while scientists warn their absence would leave an ecological void.
“They control populations of smaller species,” Mahlaba stressed. “Their disappearance would tip the balance of the ecosystem.”
In a forest where royal traditions, rural livelihoods, and fragile habitats intersect, the fate of Eswatini’s elusive wild cats may rest on whether conservation and community responsibility can come together before it is too late.