5 Interesting Facts About the African Civet: How is it Connected to the World’s Most Expensive Coffee?

Contrary to the belief the african civet is not part of the Felidae family but belongs to the Viverridae family. This mysterious species shares its family tree with intriguing creatures like the asian palm civet, the binturong, and the banded palm civet.

Now that we’ve clarified this, let’s dive into its fascinating habits, appearance, and the connection of this raccoon-like fellow with kopi luwak coffee. Meet the african civet!

1.) Its Diet is Poisonous

The african civet is native to central and southern Africa, often found in savannas, forests, and sometimes near rivers, where tall grass and bushes provide the necessary cover during the day while it enjoys its sweet sleep. It wakes up at sunset to start its usual foraging journey. Although it’s classified as a carnivore, it is actually an omnivore. Its diet includes a variety of small vertebrates, invertebrates, eggs, carrion, and plant material, much like how we might enjoy a variety of dishes at a hotel buffet.

Uniquely, it is one of the few carnivores that can eat poisonous invertebrates such as termites and millipedes, and it doesn’t mind consuming heavily decomposed carrion either. It primarily relies on its sense of smell and sound rather than sight to detect its prey.

2.) Calvin Klein’s Obsession Smells Like a Civet

The african civet is the only surviving member of the genus Civettictis and, according to the Red List, is not considered endangered. However, it hasn’t escaped unscathed. In some countries, they are hunted for their skulls, meat, and fur, which are considered valuable. Live specimens are also frequently captured to produce civetone for the perfume industry. Civetone is a fragrant compound derived from the anal glands of the civet. These animals, kept in small cages, undergo a painful process periodically to extract the civetone from their glands, often leading to their death within weeks.

It’s shocking that this barbaric practice is still in place despite the fact that civetone has been synthetically producible from palm oil for about 60 years. Nonetheless, civetone remains one of Ethiopia’s significant exports. It has a strong musky scent, which becomes pleasant when highly diluted. It’s rumored that to attract jaguars to camera traps; researchers have used Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Men perfume, because the civetone in it resembles territorial markings.

3.) It Wears a Zorro Mask

The african civet is a peculiar-looking animal, a fact that becomes more apparent upon closer inspection. Its face strikingly resembles that of a raccoon, with little resemblance to a cat. Its thick, bristly fur comes in a range of shades from black to cream, adorned with various stripes, spots, and patches. It even has a crest running along its spine from neck to tail. Its body structure is unusual: the rear end is much more prominent compared to its small head, which sports a wide, black mask, much like Zorro’s. When threatened, the civet raises its hindquarters to appear larger and more intimidating, a common defensive behavior among predators.

4.) It Uses Latrines

African civets defecate in large piles known as latrines, or “civetrines,” similar to how ocelots do. The impact of these latrines on seed dispersal is still being studied. While defecating, they also mark the latrines with secretions from their anal glands, which serve as territorial markers.

5.) The Coffee Connection: Kopi Luwak

Kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, is made from coffee cherries that have been partially digested and then excreted by the common palm civet (Asian palm civet). As the cherries pass through the civet’s digestive system, they ferment, and once excreted, these are collected by humans. The term “kopi luwak” refers to the production process rather than the coffee’s variety. Unfortunately, many common palm civets are captured and kept in captivity for this purpose. Kopi luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee, with retail prices for farmed beans reaching up to $1,000 per kilogram and wild-collected beans averaging around $1,300 per kilogram.

While kopi luwak is associated with the common palm civet, not the african civet, both belong to the Viverridae family. However, the African civet is a different carnivorous mammal native to South and Southeast Asia.