Injured Asian palm civet rescued from Mehrauli

NEW DELHI: An injured Asian palm civet was rescued from a temple near Qutub Minar on Friday.
The Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also called a toddy cat, is a small member of the family Viverridae — native to south and southeast Asia.
According to the NGO, Wildlife SOS, the civet cat was spotted on the fringes of Sanjay Van near a residential area in Mehrauli.
“The area is flanked between the sprawling city forests and the inhabited regions of Qutub complex.Owing to the repetitive nature of such sightings, the residents consider such occurrences natural and common. On Friday evening, a resident spotted the animal being attacked by a pack of feral dogs in which it sustained bite wounds on the torso and neck,” a release stated on Saturday.
The animal had sought shelter near a temple within the residential society. A two-member rescue team arrived at the location and rushed it to its recovery facility.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, “The civet is under stress and will take time to recover. Our dedicated team of veterinarians is carrying out the necessary treatment and upon complete recovery, the animal will be released into its natural habitat.”
Wasim Akram, manager, Wildlife SOS special projects, said, “Civet cats can be seen in the urban environment, but rarely, as they are shy and wary of humans. Rapid habitat encroachment and deforestation are beginning to redefine the boundaries between forest and urban areas. Consequently, incidents of wild animals straying into urban area are increasing.”
The civet plays an important role in the ecosystem by controlling the rodent population and is the prime contributor to the dispersal of seeds as they often feed on fruits, berries, coffee beans, insects and small mammals.