Civet One Health
🐾 Species: Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
📍 Location: Vietnam
🔑 Key Partners: The Civet Project & Drusillas Zoo Park
🏆 The Civet One Health project aims to end commercial civet farming in Vietnam through strategic consumer education, farmer engagement, and policy change. Our ‘seed’ funding will allow the project to identify and build trusting relationships with key stakeholders involved in the commercial trade of civet species in Vietnam.
Civets are part of the Viverridae family, a group of cat-like small bodied carnivores found in Asia and Africa, which includes civets, oyans, binturong, linsang and genets. Whilst they are cat-like, members of the Viverridae family are not cats.
Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are found throughout large swathes of South and South-East Asia, from India and Nepal, to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and across the Indonesian archipelago. Although this species is listed as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List, their wild population is declining as the species faces increasing threats.
🚩 What is the problem?
Common palm civets are highly adaptable animals, living in primary forest as well as farmland edges and urban areas. They are considered to be “pests” in many areas, and are hunted and killed as a result. More recently, the species is being traded as pets or as ‘stock’ for the civet coffee industry.
Recently, civets have become well known for their role in the production of civet coffee – coffee which is partially digested by civets. Rising consumer demand since the early 2000’s has resulted in mass caged production, meaning that civets across Asia are caged in poor conditions where they are force fed coffee. Civets are also caged and drugged for civet coffee tours, so that tourists can pose with them.
The Civet Project promotes the conservation and welfare of species within the Viverridae family, including Asian palm civets. They aim to tackle the issues presented by the civet coffee trade through strategic action.
🫶 How are we helping?
Dudley Zoo & Castle cares for one Viverridae species; the binturong (Arctictis binturong). This species acts as an ambassadors, helping us raise awareness and funds for their wild cousins.
In January 2025, we partnered with The Civet Project and the British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to deliver the first ever Viverrid Workshop. The two-day workshop brought experts from across the UK, and further a field, to discuss the various threats these species are facing.
Following this workshop, we have partnered with Drusillas Zoo Park in 2025 and 2026 to provide £5000 in seed funding (each year) for the Civet One Health project. The project aims to end commercial civet farming in Vietnam through strategic consumer education, farmer engagement, and policy change. Our seed funding will allow The Civet Project to identify and build trusting relationships with key stakeholders involved in the commercial trade of civet species in Vietnam. This includes local trappers, farmers, community leaders, gastronomic business owners, consumers, and government officials
💗 How can you help?
Simply by visiting Dudley Zoo & Castle, you are supporting civet conservation. Support us further by…
