A cầy vằn bắc civet captured on a photo trap in Xuân Liên Natural Reserve. — VNA/VNS Photo

THANH HOÁ — Four rare civet species have been found in Xuân Liên Natural Reserve in the north-central province of Thanh Hóa thanks to photo traps.

Phạm Anh Tuấn, director of the Xuân Liên Natural Reserve Management Board, said that a project on the investigation and preservation of species of the civet family (Viverridae) in the natural reserve has been implemented since 2021.

Under the project, eight photo traps have been installed, which helped discover four rare civet species – cầy vằn bắc (Chorotogale owstoni), cầy vòi mốc (Paguma larvata), cầy vòi hương (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), and cầy móc cua (Herpestes urva).

The project aims to raise awareness among residents and local authorities on the conservation of endangered rare mammals, creating ecological balance and contributing to the conservation of endangered species in Xuân Liên Nature Reserve and Việt Nam in general.

According to the management board, the civet family is a group of mammals that live in the tropical forest ecosystem. They nest in caves and tree holes and eat small animals – rodents, birds, frogs, and insects.

There are 33 species in 23 genera across the world, belonging to four subfamilies and nearly 350 different subspecies. — VNS