NEW DELHI: An injured Asian palm civet, which was attacked by a pack of feral dogs near the capital’s Qutub Minar complex was rescued by an NGO on Friday evening.
The Asian palm civet, also called a toddy cat, is a small member of the Viverridae family. It is typically native to south and southeast Asia. Civet cats help control the rodent population and contribute to the dispersal of seeds as they often feed on fruits, berries, coffee beans, insects and small mammals.
The injured civet was rescued by NGO Wildlife SOS over a 30-minute rescue operation from the premises of a temple near Qutub Minar. On Friday evening, a resident saw the civet being attacked by dogs and noticed it had sustained bite wounds on its torso and neck region.
He contacted the NGO on its round-the-clock helpline, following which two-members reached the spot. The civet had sought shelter near a temple after it sustained injuries. Currently, the civet is being attended to by veterinarians from Wildlife SOS at the recovery facility and will be released back in the habitat after it fully recovers.
“The civet is under immense stress and will take time to recover from the ordeal. Our dedicated team of veterinarians is carrying out the necessary treatment for the injuries and upon complete recovery, it will be released back into its natural habitat. It is heartening to see people taking timely action to help this civet cat and reaching out to Wildlife SOS,” said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder & CEO of Wildlife SOS.
Owing to the repetitive nature of attacks, people often consider such attacks common.
“Civet cats can be seen in urban environments, but rarely, as they tend to be shy and wary of humans. Rapid habitat encroachment and deforestation is beginning to redefine the boundaries between forest and urban areas. Consequently, incidents of wild animals straying into urban area are increasing,” said Wasim Akram, manager, Wildlife SOS special projects.