While lions and cheetahs often steal the spotlight, servals and caracals play a vital ecological role and remain far less studied. Swayde Lessing, an Honours Wildlife Management student from the Mammal Research Institute, is currently conducting her project on these enigmatic medium-sized cats, validating a non-invasive method of monitoring stress through faecal hormone analysis.

By tracking glucocorticoid levels before and after a safe ACTH challenge, her study aims to understand how these cats respond to changes in their environment — with real implications for their welfare and conservation.

Read the full story in the Cheetah Experience June newsletter to find out more about Swayde's research and what her results could mean for these often overlooked carnivores.