Civet sightings in urban and even residential areas while not rare, are still uncommon enough to spark curiosity. This was the case when one was spotted near Queenstown Stadium recently.
A passer-by who saw the creature shared footage of it with Facebook page Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road, who posted the clip today (7 Jan).
While otters are the most common and exciting wildlife sightings in Singapore, another creature has been making occasional public appearances too.
The civet – found natively in Singapore – is nocturnal by nature, so to see them out in the open in the daytime is quite interesting.
But the witness apparently couldn’t recognise the animal, as the caption asks, “What is this animal?”
Source: Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road on Facebook
Many viewers who saw the video were able to identify the creature as a civet cat, probably thanks to its distinct features.
Source: Facebook
According to the caption, the passer-by saw the civet by the roadside outside Queenstown Stadium.
The civet wasn’t out and about for long though, as it headed for a large drain nearby just a few seconds into the video.
It subsequently crawled down the slanted slides and walked away, into the darker end of the drain which likely led somewhere else.
According to NParks, the civet – which isn’t a cat – often lives in “forests, parks, mangroves and even roof spaces of buildings in urban areas”.
Besides being nocturnal, they also tend to “stay in trees and high places”. To observe a civet in broad daylight and on the ground is thus rather surprising.
With civet sightings seemingly increasing lately, experts told TODAY that it may not be a bad thing.
Civets appearing in neighbourhoods could indicate the presence of a “healthy ecosystem”. If these creatures could find fruits and greenery to survive, other species possibly can too.
Though the phenomenon could also be because they were driven out by the mass clearance of forested areas, it’s not a concern as civets are adaptable.
They can apparently “make use of the semi-urban environment” to survive.
If that’s really the case, we hope that the lone civet is doing okay out there. Should you encounter one, read NParks’ guide on what you should or shouldn’t do.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road on Facebook.
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