South Delhi family finds two civet 'cats' inside house

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A south Delhi family were found two Asian Palm Civets inside their house on Monday morning. The animals were picked up from the house and released back into their natural habitat, an NGO working to rescue wild animals said on Monday.

A response team from the NGO identified the civets as a mother-child pair.

when a family in Greater Kailash-II, South Delhi, found two civets inside their home, they reached out to the Wildlife SOS Delhi helpline, the NGO said in a statement.

The team took them to the Wildlife SOS transit facility for observation and care. After being declared healthy by the veterinary team, the civets were released back into their natural habitat, the statement said.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, “Incidents like this remind us how habitat loss is pushing wild animals closer to human habitation.

Our priority is to ensure their safe rescue and release, while also raising awareness about the importance of coexistence with wildlife.” He added that Asian Palm Civets are harmless and shy creatures, but urban development has left them with limited options for food and shelter.

“It is crucial that citizens call helplines like ours instead of trying to handle such situations themselves,” he said.

Asian Palm Civets are nocturnal mammals that play a vital ecological role by controlling insect populations and aiding in seed dispersal.

However, with shrinking forest cover and rapid urban expansion, these animals are increasingly straying into human settlements, leading to frequent conflict situations, Wildlife SOS said. PTI NSM NSM SKY SKY