Two rare Owston's palm civets rescued in Ninh Bình

September 24, 2022 - 10:29
The animals were illegally traded by two traffickers in Ngọc Lặc District on September 21. The duo confessed that they bought the civets from hunters.
An Owston's palm civet is being taken care of by veterinarian at Cúc Phương National Park. — VNA/VNS Photo

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NINH BÌNH — The Cúc Phương National Park in the northern province of Ninh Bình has coordinated with Save Vietnam's Wildlife (SVW) and the police in Ngọc Lặc District in the neighbouring province of Thanh Hoá in rescuing two rare Owston's palm civets (Chrotogale owstoni).

The animals were illegally traded by two traffickers in Ngọc Lặc District on September 21. The duo confessed that they bought the civets from hunters.

The animals were seriously injured in their legs, one of them in very bad condition. They are receiving treatment at the Cúc Phương’s Endangered Primate Rescue Centre (EPRC).

Nguyễn Văn Thái, director of the centre, said that the park is coordinating with the centre in expanding a breeding programme aiming to preserve Owston's palm civets and release them to nature later.

A breeding area to conserve civets will be built on an area of nearly 1 hectare in Cúc Phương National Park. When operational, it can keep up to 50 individuals of Owston's palm civets, enabling 6-10 individuals to be released to nature each year.

Owston's palm civet is native to Việt Nam, Laos and southern China. It is listed as an endangered species by IUCN because of an ongoing population decline, estimated to be more than 50 per cent over the last three generations, inferred from over-exploitation, habitat destruction and degradation. — VNS

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