Civet cat turned over to PCSDS
A civet cat or “musang” was turned over Thursday to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) by a resident who found it in a weak condition along Wescom Road, Barangay San Pedro.
Jovic Fabello, PCSDS spokesperson, said it was found by Chris Hinayon, who tried to care for the wild animal by feeding it with rice.
In his Facebook post, Hinayon said he found the animal on Wednesday in a desperate condition. It almost bit him when he tried hand-feeding it.
“Tahol nang tahol ang aso namin. Nasa tabi lang ng bahay namin nakahiga [ang musang], hindi siya umaalis kaya kinuha ko ito, mukhang malaking daga. Sa tingin ko may sakit ito at nanghihina, hindi makatayo at saka mukhang gutom, payat kasi” he said.
Fabello said they are still in the process of determining the reason why the wild animal is ill.
“Hindi pa natin alam kung ano ‘yong dahilan ng kaniyang panghihina so minabuti na natin na i-proseso siya tapos immediately na ni-repatriate natin siya sa Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center ( PWRCC) para matingnan ng beterinaryo at for final disposition,” Fabello said.
He said while the civet cat does not belong to the group of endangered wildlife, it plays an important role in the biodiversity and ecosystem.
“Iyong Musang kasi im- portante rin sa sa Biodiversity. Unang-una sa coffee industry, di ba ‘yong Musang coffee ay talagang valued ‘yan. Itong Musang kasi talagang maliban sa nagko-control siya ng population ng other animals sa gubat. napaka-ilap, and may certain niche siya na ginagampanan sa isang ecological system,” he pointed out.
According to Fabello, this was the first civet cat turned over to them this 2019.
A civet cat feeds on coffee berries and its proteolytic enzymes inside the stomach processes the beans, making them less bitter and more aromatic.
The feces of the civet are collected, washed, and processed. Internationally, a cup of civet coffee ranges from $35 to $100 dollars.
Coffee beans from the civet cat are sold at P5,000 to P10,000 per kilogram.
He encouraged the public to report to the PCSDS enforcement team any wildlife found by calling at 0935-1162-336 (Globe/TM) or 0948-9372-200 (Smart/TNT).
“Paalala lang sa ating mga kababayan sa Puerto at probinsya ng Palawan na tuwing makakita kayo ng wildlife among the city or within the vicinity ng mga lugar na matatao, maaari lamang na i-report sa amin o kaya ay pagsabihan po itong mga nagma-may-ari nito na kung hindi ‘yan rehistrado [ay] i-turn over na lang po sa amin,” Fabello added.