Serval population status in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia

• Small cats such as servals, are somewhat overlooked in Africa relative to larger cats such as lion. • We estimate serval densities across Zambia’s Greater Kafue Ecosystem. • We find serval densities vary greatly in surrounding Game Management Areas. • Provides new serval density estimates from Zambia, contributing to a limited evidence base on population ecology Mesopredators such as servals ( Leptailurus serval ) often receive less funding for research compared to charismatic large carnivores. However, understanding the population dynamics of the species is crucial for evidence-based conservation planning and management. This study investigates serval densities within Zambia’s Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE). Serval population density was estimated through camera trap surveys and spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) at a number of sites, five within the fully protected Kafue National Park (KNP) and six in adjacent Game Management Areas (GMAs), where human pressures are generally greater. The analysis revealed that serval densities in KNP ranged from 2.32 (SE: 1.26, 95 % CI: 0.06 – 4.84) to 5.84 individuals (SE: 1.35, 95 % CI: 3.01 – 7.43) per 100 km2. Serval population density within the GMAs exhibited marginally greater variability, with densities ranging from 1.32 (SE: 0.38, 95 % CI: 0.57 – 2.07) to 6.11 individuals (SE: 1.70, 95 % CI: 2.77 – 9.45) per 100 km2. Our findings suggest slightly higher mean densities within KNP compared to the GMAs, which may be a result of differences in habitat quality and human disturbance. Our study further demonstrates the efficacy of using SECR models on bycatch data from large carnivore surveys to estimate serval densities. Future research could identify the environmental and anthropogenic factors that determine serval densities in the GKE, and a longitudinal study will allow for serval densities to be tracked over time.