A pair of 1-year-old Serval cats stepped into the public eye for the first time at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
The cats are among eight captive-born Servals brought to the US from South Africa several months ago. The other six were sent to other zoos across the country.
The Servals were brought into the US to upgrade the genetic diversity in the captive born population, according to the zoos general curator, Jerry Stone.
Stone said the cats have had few problems adjusting to their new home because they were already born in captivity.
Servals, which are indigenous to Morocco, Algeria and much of sub-Saharan Africa, are about the size of Bobcats, but are often confused with Cheetahs.
Posted: June 15, 2006, 5:00 a.m. EST