Helen Wilson, age 10, of Eau Claire, Wisc., for her question:

WHAT DOES THE SERVAL EAT?

The serval, a large wildcat that lives in Africa from the Cape of Good Hope north to Senegal and the Sudan, lives on small fowl and )Z~ 070 other creatures up to the size of small antelopes.

Serval fur is sold under the trade name of "tiger cat." The handsome cat is tawny with black spots.

A male serval is between three and four feet long and stands between 18 and 24 inches tall at the shoulder. It has a 12 inch tail and very  large ears.

Often the animals are used as pets since they are easy to tame if captured when young.

The big cats hide in bushes along riverbanks, waiting for their prey. They generally hunt on the ground but are expert climbers and often go into the trees after birds.