Innovative New Care Guide for Civets Launched

Two leading animal organisations, Wild Welfare and The Civet Project Foundation, have joined forces to promote the welfare of captive civets by launching an innovative new online resource. Civets represent a family of small, nocturnal mammals native to the Afro-Asian regions. Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are held in captivity across the world in zoos, sanctuaries, and rescue centres, where they require very specific levels of care. These civets are commonly kept in many countries that Wild Welfare and the Civet Project already work within, including Vietnam and Indonesia.

Sadly, many captive civets are taken from the wild, often removed from their natural habitats to be sold in the pet trade or civet coffee farming, and almost always housed in substandard facilities. Civets can suffer from extreme stress, poor nutrition, and poor living conditions that fail to meet even their basic physical and behavioural needs. Though many may be rescued from exploitative industries, and go on to be cared for in captive facilities such as sanctuaries, the lack of species-specific care guidance can still hinder their full rehabilitation. By providing expert guidance on how to meet the specific welfare needs of civets, the multi-lingual guide aims to improve conditions for civets across many countries.

This vital new “Care For Us Guide” follows a fresh, advanced format in comparison to previous editions of the manuals. Every guide offers expert-led direction to caregivers looking after these animals, with the aim of providing individuals with the highest possible levels of welfare. Designed to promote natural behaviour opportunities and improve the quality of civets’ lives in captivity, the free resource represents a big leap forward for the welfare of these volatile and too-often-misunderstood animals. The new in-depth guide is almost twice the length of previous ‘Care for Us’ guides, now featuring additional visual components including tools for body condition scoring and more in depth practical information regarding how civet needs can be met within a captive environment.

The ‘Care For Us’ series already offers over 35 downloadable guides for different species including birds, reptiles, mammals, and aquatics, all free to access from wildwelfare.org. Wild Welfare’s extensive online library of accessible resources, covers a range of important topics, including how caregivers can provide stimulating environments, and encourage positive species-specific behaviors. The extensively researched guide gives pragmatic, evidence-based recommendations to professionals working on the front line of animal care.

To make this information as accessible as possible to zoos, sanctuaries and rescue centres, the guides have been expertly translated into Vietnamese, Japanese and Bahasa Indonesia, with ongoing plans for Filipino in the coming months. Wild Welfare are incredibly grateful for the assistance of Yến Nguyễn, Amanda Faradifa, Fumoto, and everyone involved, for their translations on this project. The wonderful team at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife also provided much of the great photography found within the new guide. 

“Civets and other viverrids are often misunderstood and inadequately cared for in captivity,” says Simon Marsh, Director at Wild Welfare. “This ‘Care For Us Guide’ takes a more advanced look at Civet care, providing an even deeper dive into this topic than our previous care guides. This marks a crucial step in our work, helping these animals receive the attention and specialised care they deserve. By providing caregivers with the necessary tools and knowledge, we are taking strides towards significantly improving the welfare of these species globally.”

“We are delighted to partner with Wild Welfare on this important initiative,” states Dr Jes Hooper, Founder of The Civet Project. “Our combined expertise allows us to deliver a resource that directly addresses the unique needs of civets in captivity. We believe this guide will be instrumental in fostering a deeper understanding and improved welfare for these fascinating and secretive animals.”

Collaboration is key in every aspect of Wild Welfare’s work and the creation of the civet care guide was no different. Along with The Civet Project team, Zak Showell, Director of Shaldon Wildlife Trust and member of the IUCN small carnivore specialist group was also consulted. His specialist knowledge on civet care, along with the BIAZA resources he shared with the Wild Welfare team were integral to the accuracy of the guide. “Between the three organisations, we have an extensive network of zoos and rescue centres in range countries which we can share the guide with to drive forward welfare improvements.” Jes explained. 

This collaborative venture continues the strong existing relationship between The Civet Project and Wild Welfare. Both organisations previously collaborated on the influential ‘Industry Leaders Report 2024: The Civet Coffee Tourism Industry’, which detailed the need for the improved welfare standards within the civet coffee and tourism trade. Wild Welfare also supported the production of the Civet Project’s award-winning documentary ‘Civet Coffee: from rare to reckless‘. This short film continues to help raise global awareness of the severe animal welfare issues caused by civet farming and associated tourism around the globe.

This new ‘Care For Us Guide’ is available as a free download on the Wild Welfare website at WildWelfare.org/care-for-us along with guides tailored to many other captive species.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Photo Credits: © Save Vietnam’s Wildlife

For more information or interview requests please contact Wild Welfare on communications@wildwelfare.org

Wild Welfare is a global organisation committed to improving animal welfare for captive wild animals. By uniting the world’s leading zoos, zoo associations and animal welfare organisations, we build trusting partnerships that help provide long-term solutions to critical wild animal welfare issues.

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Our vision is to end the suffering of captive wild animals around the world and ensure full and sustainable protection is given to all animals in human care. Find out more at wildwelfare.org. Registered charity in England (no.1165941).