Des (FKA Desiree)
Male Serval
DOB unknown
Rescued 10/11/2009
Serval Rescue! An African Serval was limping along in the Arizona desert until he collapsed alongside a road.
He had almost completely given up the will to live. He was probably a pet or perhaps used in the hybrid breeding scheme that has become all the rage where Servals are bred to domestic house cats to produce Savannah Cat hybrids. The domestic cats are often killed in the process. The kittens sell for thousands of dollars, but when they mature they typically spray and bite and make awful pets. The hybrids are usually discarded by the time they are two or three years old.
This Serval was obviously abandoned and was placed by authorities at the Tucson Wildlife Center, a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to native wildlife. Lisa Bates-Lininger the founding president of the Tucson Wildlife Center said, “She was dehydrated and tired and just ready to give up. She may have died last night, but luckily we got her in. We got her emergency treatment, fluids for shock, and she’s also missing a rear leg.” (It was years later, when we first sedated Desiree, that we discovered she was a he.)
Despite 18 media posts including TV news in Tucson and a post on Craig’s list looking for the owner but no one admits to having abandoned this Serval to die in the desert. Thanks to some very generous supporters the serval was flown to her new permanent home at Big Cat Rescue where she is recovering well. Servals can live into their late teens and proper care is thousands of dollars each year. His new 1,200 square foot Cat-a-tat had to be specially modified to accommodate her three-legged hopping. It seems that he only recently lost his leg as he has a very difficult time keeping his balance. We wrote to the vets in the Tucson area to find out if any of them know what tragedy caused him to lose a limb and to see if there is any way to prosecute those who exposed her to such danger, but never heard any more.
Des Serval sees the vet 12 04 2018
March 28, 2019
Des Serval in his favorite afternoon napping spot!
August 3, 2019
Des gets treats from his keepers!
May 24, 2020
Lisa sings to Des Serval
January 20, 2021
Des Serval sees the vet for a check up. 2 part video:
January 5, 2022
Birthday enrichment for Des Serval!
May 5, 2022
Des Serval moves to Serval row!
December 3, 2022
Des Serval
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I love her and hope that you keep her name, Désirée.
She is actually a HE. That’s why they changed his name to Desi.
I love so beautiful wild life cat!,so sad for her loss a leg hit by road along.. Wow I m feeing bad for her died!,
The States need to ban people from stocking exotics, it is disgusting! Leave the african animals in africa where they belong!!!
Yes your’e right! It is so wrong how these beautiful wild animals are treated like ugly cockrouches. It makes me angry. Long live the wild cats!
So glad that he was rescued.
🙂 <3
You guys are awesome in the work that you do! You are heroes to me for providing sanctuary and a good life for these beautiful cats! I salute you.
Thank you for helping her and taking her in. I think it should if it isn't already against the law for people to bring these animals into the U.S. to use for what ever. These people that did this to her need to be jailed for years.
What a gorgeous furbaby!! Desiree is a fitting name for her, too!! Thank you, to whomever found and saved her. Please continue!!! I hope she recovers and thrives – poor baby girl deserves it, I would think. Go get those stupid jerks who hurt her!!!
I like her name Desiree also. She's beautiful. Thank you Big cat rescue for what you do!
Thank you big cat rescue for being there for all of them and really caring for them