Activists rescue Asian palm civet

Fire brigade and green activists rescued an Asian palm civet cat from a tree in Karad town in Satara district on Thursday morning.
The cat was later released in the forests by NGO Creative Nature Club’s members Rohan Bhate and Nana Khamkar. Range forest officer Bharat Patil was also present during the rescue operation.

The cat’s scientific name is Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and commonly known as toddy cat. It is listed under least concern category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and a protected animal as per the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

This cat is nocturnal and not much visible in day time.

Bhate said the rescued animal was a full-grown pregnant female.
“That’s why we could catch it,” Bhate said.

The NGO members got the information that the cat was stuck in a tree and people were stoning it.

“As this cat is considered inauspicious, people were trying to shoo it. The fire brigade was called and the animal was brought down,” Bhate said.

Palm civets lead solitary lives, except during the mating season, and are both terrestrial and arboreal. Their strong claws help in climbing the tree. This omnivore feeds on fruits, small insects and animals.

In November 2011, three cubs of the Indian fishing cat were found in a farm in Karad.