Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T09:18:14.680Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The husbandry, welfare and health of captive African civets (Vivera civetica) in western Ethiopa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

T Tolosa  and
F Regassa
T Tolosa
Affiliation:
Jimma University, Veterinary Department, PO Box 745, Jimma, Ethiopia
F Regassa*
Affiliation:
Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Debre Zeit, PO Box 34, Ethiopia
*
* Contact for correspondence and request for reprints: dhwp.vet.med@ethionet.et
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A study was carried out during the period from September 2001 to August 2002 in Jimma zone, western Ethiopia to evaluate the husbandry and health of captive African civets (Vivera civetica). Wild civets were found in the wild in all 13 of the districts in the zone, although traditional civet-keeping was practiced in only five. Civet management practices were determined via the use of a questionnaire survey of 15 farms; containing a total of 107 civets. Health was assessed by routine clinical examination, and examination of faecal and blood smears of 55 civets selected at random. All civets were male and over one year of age, with a mean weight of 12.5 ± 0.79 kg. Fifteen percent were in poor body condition, and only 13% had a good body condition score. An average of 7.13 civets were kept on each farm. Farmers obtained wild civets by either trapping them themselves, purchasing them from dealers or a combination of both. The civets were housed separately in wooden cages, with an average size of 1.0 × 0.5 × 1.0 m (length × breadth × height) and kept in a communal thatched room. They were fed boiled meat, milk (fresh or powdered), eggs, butter, corn soup and fruit juice. Although an assessment of the behavioural parameters of welfare were outwith the scope of this study, trapping methods, adaptation processes, housing condition, restraint and the techniques for musk extraction from the anal glands were stressful and injurious, and have important welfare implications. Approximately 20 g of musk was expressed from a single civet every 9-15 days. The civets often sustained injuries while being restrained during musk harvesting; 14% had swelling and bruising, 6.5% fractures and 11.2% had eye lesions. Cestodes were the most prevalent gastrointestinal parasites, followed by ancylostomes, ascarides and Tricuris spp. Skin lesions were identified in 19.6% of civets examined and an assortment of fleas and ticks including Haemophysalis leachi, Rhipicephalus and Amblyoma spp were found on the body. Trypanosoma congolense and Babesia felis were identified in blood smears taken from four animals. This study shows there is an urgent need to invest in research into improving the welfare, husbandry and health of civets, as well as providing educational programmes for those who farm these animals.

Keywords

animal welfarecaptivecivetsEthiopiahealthhusbandry
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 15 - 19
Copyright
© 2007 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bowman, DD 1990 Georgis parasitology for Veterinarians, 7th edition. Saunders: Philadelphia, USAGoogle Scholar
Coles, ED 1986 Veterinary clinical pathology, 4th edition. Saunders: Philadephia, USAGoogle Scholar
Dorset, J and Dandelot, P 1970 Viverridae: A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa. Collines: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Fasil, T 1995 Civet Cats Biology and Economic contribution. In: Seminar proceedings on civet cat farming, musk production and marketing. pp 9-15. EWCO (Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization): Addis Ababa, EthiopaGoogle Scholar
Fekadu, S 1995 Health care to civets and their relatives. In: Seminar proceedings on civet cat farming, musk production and marketing. pp 30-39. EWCO (Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization): Addis Ababa, EthiopaGoogle Scholar
Ketema, D 1995 Civet cat farming in Oromia. In: Seminar proceedings on civet cat farming, musk production and marketing. pp 16-23. EWCO (Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization): Addis Ababa, EthiopaGoogle Scholar
Kingdom, J 1977 East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in African Mammals, Volume III. Academic press: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Mason, JH 1984 Civets, Evolution of Domestic animals. Longman: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Mohammed, A 1995 The African civet and Musk production in Ethiopia. In: Seminar proceedings on civet cat farming, musk production and marketing. pp 4-8. EWCO (Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization): Addis Ababa, EthiopaGoogle Scholar
Pugh, M 1998 Civet farming. An Ethiopian Investigation. pp 1-29. WSPA (World Society for Protection of Animals): London, UKGoogle Scholar
Smithers, RHN 1983 Viverridae: Civet and Genets. In: The mammals of the Southern African subregion. University of Pretoria: Pretoria, South AfricaGoogle Scholar