A captured Owston’s civet, one of the rarest civets in Viet Nam, is being cared at the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Centre at the Cuc Phuong National Park of northern Ninh Binh province.
An Owston’s civet - Illustrative image (Source: biolib.cz)
The animal, scientifically known as Chrotogate owstoni, was handed over by Luu Quang Mat, a resident in Long Khanh district in the southern province of Dong Nai.
In 2014, Mat bought two Owston’s civets to keep as pets from a hunter in Ho Chi Minh City without knowing that this species was prohibited from hunting and trading.
After one civet died due to poor health, Mat decided to hand over the remaining to the rescue centre.
Tran Quang Phuong, head of a programme on carnivore and pangolin conservation, said this case marked the first success of a communication campaign to raise public awareness of protecting Owston’s civets.
According to Phuong, the civet is receiving special care in the centre and is in good health