Featured image courtesy of Ms Chia and Wee Wee Chia on Facebook.
Two juvenile civets became stranded on the roof of a covered walkway connecting HDB blocks in Bukit Merah after they were unable to climb down to join the rest of their family.
Despite attempts by the other civets to demonstrate how it’s done, they remained too afraid to scale the pillars.
Image courtesy of Ms Chia
Ms Chia, a 55-year-old brand manager, told MS News that the sighting took place at an unspecified location in Bukit Merah.
On the evening of 23 Oct, Ms Chia was helping her brother and nephew bring things to the carpark after a family dinner when they came across the civets at the walkway.
Image courtesy of Ms Chia
They counted six in total, with two adults and four juveniles and presumed them to be a family.
Most of them clambered down the smooth walkway pillars and onto the ground with no issue, except the two smallest ones.
Source: Wee Wee Chia on Facebook
“I believe the two younger civet cats were trying to ‘get down’ to the ground so that they can climb up the tree next to the walkway,” she said.
“But somehow, the pillars of the walkway are too slippery for them to handle.”
One of them repeatedly walked in circles while looking downwards, but could not climb down. The other did the same from the roof’s railings.
Source: Wee Wee Chia on Facebook
“I think they don’t dare to walk down,” Ms Chia commented aloud.
She told MS News that the adult civets were showing them how to climb down.
The video showed both of them and the other two juveniles clambering back up the pillars to do so.
Source: Wee Wee Chia on Facebook
“They tried different pillars but were just hesitant to take the first step,” she added.
Ms Chia and her family watched for 20 minutes before they had to leave.
In that time, the two young civets repeatedly walked back and forth between pillars, unable to get down.
Image courtesy of Ms Chia
Ms Chia explained that this was not her first sighting of the civets.
She claimed that the civets usually hide in a passageway inside the walkway roof, which has been sealed up except for the corners.
“They are very cute, they are nocturnal, it is a common thing to see them at night,” she told MS News.
Image courtesy of Ms Chia
Ms Chia was initially wary of them due to poor experiences with “fierce” wildlife, but found the civets “lovely”.
She also warned against people viewing the civets as pets.
They are wildlife and we share the space. Let them be.
Also read: S’pore resident finds civet in small gap of HDB walkway ceiling, netizens say no need to call ACRES
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Featured image courtesy of Ms Chia and Wee Wee Chia on Facebook.