Rare civet species discovered in central natural reserve

Four rare civet species have been found in Xuan Lien Natural Reserve in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa thanks to photo traps.
 A Cay Van bac (Chorotogale owstoni) is found in Xuan Lien Natural Reserve in the north-centre province of Thanh Hoa. (Photo: VNA)
A Cay Van bac (Chorotogale owstoni) is found in Xuan Lien Natural Reserve in the north-centre province of Thanh Hoa. (Photo: VNA)

Director of the Xuan Lien Natural Reserve Management Board Pham Anh Tuan said that a project on the investigation and preservation of species of the civet family (Viverridae) in the natural reserve has been implemented from 2021.

Under the project, photo traps have been installed eight times, which helped discover four rare civet species - Cay Van bac (Chorotogale owstoni), Cay Voi moc (Paguma larvata), Cay Voi huong (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), and Cay Moc cua (Crab eating mongoose).

The project is expected to raise awareness among the residents and local authorities in the conservation of endangered rare mammals, creating ecological balance, thereby contributing to the conservation of endangered species in Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in particular and Vietnam in general.

According to the management board, the civet family (Viverridae) is a typical group of mammals in the tropical forest ecosystem. They nest in caves and tree holes, and eat small animals, rodents, birds, frogs, and insects. In the world, the civet family has 33 species in 23 genera, belonging to four subfamilies and nearly 350 different subspecies.

VNA