Dartmoor Zoo seeks support to cover unexpected costs for Serval rehoming

Dartmoor Zoo is appealing for help after taking in a male serval called Churchill and securing a mate, Sabra, from Port Lympne in Kent. 

Churchill was rescued from a private collection in Hertfordshire at the end of last year, where, along with 31 other big cats, he was found living in terrible conditions. 

The collection included jaguars, pumas, lynx, bobcats and even a critically endangered Amur leopard and the only Asian golden cat in the UK. 

The owner of the collection was later prosecuted on charges of animal cruelty after it was revealed that he had been treating the animals with homemade remedies instead of proper veterinary care, resulting in ill health for many of the cats.

At the time of the rescue, Dartmoor Zoo offered to help, awaiting instructions on how they could assist. 

The directors and staff of Hertfordshire Zoo stepped in to take over the care of the animals, co-ordinating veterinary care and working to re-home the cats.

Unfortunately, some of the cats had to be put down due to their poor health.

The zoo explained: “Unfortunately, a number of the cats had to be euthanised due to ill health. The owner didn’t believe in or trust modern medicine and had been treating the animals with homemade remedies for years.”

Churchill was one of the cats that survived and was selected to join Dartmoor Zoo.

A veterinary report revealed that he was malnourished and dehydrated. 

The zoo added: “Other than a veterinary report showing he was malnourished and dehydrated we didn’t know anything else about him. Bringing an animal with almost completely unknown history into our collection was a risk but a calculated one!”

Upon arrival at Dartmoor Zoo in January, Churchill quickly adapted to his new environment. The zoo stated: “From the moment he stepped out of his transport crate it was obvious that Churchill was going to love his new life at Dartmoor Zoo. He was calm, relaxed and began exploring his temporary enclosure immediately. He even found the food our keepers had put into the enclosure and began tucking in, starting to rebuild his body.”

The zoo’s team has become very attached to Churchill, with staff describing him as “cheeky, confident, bold and every day gets stronger and fitter.” 

Plans are already underway to prepare his permanent home alongside Sabra.

Churchill and Sabra will live together in a 300 square metre open-topped enclosure with views over open countryside from their new climbing structures. 

This is where the zoo needs help. 

The zoo stated: “None of this work was planned and therefore we hadn’t included the cost of preparing the quarantine enclosure or their permanent enclosure in our budget for this year.”

The cost of getting their new enclosures ready will be around £8,000, and ongoing food and veterinary care for the two servals will amount to £8,000 a year. 

Dartmoor Zoo is now appealing for support to cover these unplanned costs and ensure that Churchill and Sabra receive the care they need.

To support the zoo’s efforts, Dartmoor Zoo has launched a fundraising campaign.

The zoo appealed: “Any help you can offer to help us cover these unplanned costs would be very much appreciated.”

For more information and to donate, please visit Dartmoor Zoo’s Serval Fundraising page: https://www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk/support-us/serval-fundraising/