Savannah is a very sassy serval who prefers to be left alone.  She will come up to the fence to see what the keepers and volunteers are up to, but she prefers the solitary life. Savannah was declawed before she was rescued, which is usually done to try to make the cat “safer”. Savannah loves to bask in the sun and always has a hiss as a greeting for anyone who comes around to see her.

Born October 4, 2005

Rescued October 4, 2016

How Savannah Came to the Sanctuary

Savannah was rescued with 15 other animals from a facility out in Colorado. This facility was closed down when the owner fell ill. Carolina Tiger Rescue worked with several other sanctuaries around the country to find homes for over 100 animals.


Savannah is a very sassy serval who prefers things "just so". She is not a fan of many things but is learning each day that there are a few things that she likes. As of late, Savannah has found she likes to spend time on one of her high platforms and soak up the warm sun. Savannah does not enjoy seeing many people and much prefers a quiet life away from the tour path.


Savannah arrived larger than the average serval because she was a bit overweight. When she first arrived, she had matts on her back, likely due to being unable to groom herself, that had to be shaved off during her physical. Savannah's fur grew back in and she soon looked slimmer. A wild cat being overweight is just as detrimental to the animal being underweight. If they have to carry the weight on their joints and bones for too long, they can develop arthritis very easily.

Where in Sanctuary

Savannah lives in the Pear Orchard section of the sanctuary. She lives off tour behind Talon Bobcat's enclosure.

Pet Trade

Savannah came to Carolina Tiger Rescue in October of 2016. Carolina Tiger Rescue is a firm believer that wild cats should not be pets. They often suffer unintentionally from being forced to live in a house. Rarely are wild cats given the space they need or the proper diet and there are few vets willing to treat them. At some point before coming to Carolina Tiger Rescue, Savannah was declawed on all four paws. This is often done when wild cats are kept as pets because people believe it makes them "safer". Declawing is detrimental to the cat's health, often causing arthritis. Carolina Tiger Rescue asks that you not support, either directly or indirectly, those who breed wild cats for private ownership or those who believe wild cats belong in private homes.

Leptailurus serval

About Carolina Tiger Rescue

Carolina Tiger Rescue

1940 Hanks Chapel Rd.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 542-4684
(919) 542-4454