(66) That animalic perfume, popular in India as of the Gupta period, (67) and thus well established in "classical" textual culture, from literature to medicine, most likely set the precedent for the use of other musk-like materials, and in particular those produced in
civets native to the Indian subcontinent (and also Ethiopia and Southeast Asia).
Enzymes in the
civet's stomach then ferment the bean, and while still inside the protective membrane, the faeces are collected and the beans separated, washed and eventually roasted.
The palm
civet (pronounced 'sivvit') is a cousin of the mongoose, locally called a luak or musang.
(%) risk Masked palm
civet 22 16 (72.7) 7.9 Wild boar 28 16 (57.1) 6.2 Muntjac deer 16 9 (56.3) 6.1 Hare 13 6 (46.2) 5.0 Pheasant 9 3 (33.3) 4.9 Cat 43 8 (18.6) 2.0 Other fowl 25 3 (12.0) 1.3 Snake 250 23 (9.2) Reference group Primary animal traded * (95% CI ([dagger]) Masked palm
civet (5.0-12.6) Wild boar (3.8-10.3) Muntjac deer (3.4-10.9) Hare (2.5-10.2) Pheasant (0.7-24.8) ([section]) Cat (1.0-4.2) Other fowl (0.2-5.0) ([section]) Snake Reference group * Categories not mutually exclusive, except for snakes.
University of Hong Kong scientists said that they found coronaviruses - believed to cause Sars - in four
civet cats they tested in China's Guangdong province, where the virus was first reported in humans last November.
But Robert Twigger survived both the sweaty serpents and stinking
civet stew and lived to tell the tale in his book Big Snake (Phoenix pounds 7.99).
IF you are disgusted by the way
civets are treated, write to us and we will put pressure on the perfume companies.
A man surnamed Hu was fined NT$10,000 (US$336) last week in Keelung for raising a palm
civet as a house pet.
In addition to leopard cats, Reeves's muntjacs, masked palm
civets, and other animals, were spotted using the culvert to cross the road, said the Forestry Bureau.
Coffee is brewed from natural grown beans from Chiang Rai where the forest is so abundant that it is a habitat of
civets. Every now and then, the cafe will put out organic produces from their garden on sale at friendly prices.
You might also spot some of the resident wildlife such as banded mongoose, genet cats, Sykes monkeys, common duiker, African
civets or the rare side-striped jackals.
There were regulars: the flying squirrels, palm and Malay
civets and the gorgeously decorated banded
civet and most nights we saw the small, exquisitely patterned leopard cat.
'During an inspection of the vehicle, Forestry Administration officials found 30 live animals inside, including eight common palm
civets [also known as Asian palm civets] weighing a total of 17kg, and 22 birds of unknown species,' he said.
