Serval vs. Snake _ South Africa

Pounce for pounce, experienced servals are the most successful cats in Africa. While some lucky lions might make a kill a third of the time, servals snag dinner every second try. It's not exactly a fair comparison, since servals hunt frogs and mice, not long-legged impala and wildebeest. Even so, it takes skill to catch 4,000 rodents a year or to leap 12 feet high to snatch a bird. His super sharp hearing and lightning-fast reflexes do the trick. A mole snake. The inexperienced cat surprises an angry serpent, or vice versa. Servals are extremely good reptile hunters, usually. But this young male has hardly ever encountered a snake, and never such an aggressive one. Though the snake's not venomous, it can inflict a painful slashing bite. After the initial fright, the cat's instincts kick in. A good wallop could break the snake's spine, but he can't quite nail it. So he tries to tire it out instead. That seems to do the trick. Or not. Let's call it a draw.