Asian Palm Civet and Kopi Luwak

Conservation status: LEAST CONCERN
Common name: Asian Palm Civet, Common Palm Civet
Scientific name: Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Fruits, Coffee, Small mammals, and Insects
Length: 53 cm (Body), 48 cm (Tail)
Weight: 2 kg – 5 kg

The Asian palm civet is a small viverrid that inhabits the forests of South and Southeast Asia. At present, these palm civets have a wide distribution of large populations across several habitats and so are placed in the least concern category.  However, the recent increases in demands for kopi luwak (civet coffee) production may constitute a significant threat to the future wild palm civet populations.

As I don’t enjoy kopi luwak, I personally cannot understand forcefully feeding these animals coffee beans in a caged environment. Also, what is point when civets are not able to move around and select best beans and eat only what they are given? There must be a way where civets are treated better (especially since the civets play an important role in maintaining forest ecosystems via seed dispersal) and kopi luwak stands for the quality it meant to be.

Video:

References:

1. Duckworth, J.W.; Timmins, R.J.; Choudhury, A.; Chutipong, W.; Willcox, D.H.A.; Mudappa, D.; Rahman, H.; Widmann, P.; Wilting, A. & Xu, W. (2016). “Paradoxurus hermaphroditus“. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016: e.T41693A45217835. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41693A45217835.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
2. Shepherd, C. (2012). “Observations of small carnivores in Jakarta wildlife markets, Indonesia, with notes on trade in Javan Ferret Badger Melogale orientalis and on the increasing demand for Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus for civet coffee production”. Small Carnivore Conservation
3. Milman, O. (2012). “World’s most expensive coffee tainted by ‘horrific’ civet abuse”. London: The Guardian, 11 November. Retrieved 25 November 2012
4.  Penha, J. (2012). “Excreted by imprisoned Civets, Kopi Luwak no longer a personal favorite”. The Jakarta Globe, 4 August. Retrieved 17 August 2012.