Civets are a group of small cat-like carnivores. Vietnam is home to a dozen or more species including the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), Owston’s civet (Chrotogale owstoni), and binturong (Arctictis binturong).

Many of Vietnam’s civets are hunted to meet the demand from domestic consumers for wildlife specialty dishes.

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In the past, most civets in trade were exported to China. However increases in the standard of living in Vietnam have resulted in a growing domestic market for wildlife, including civets, and today most civets that are caught end up being served up in local restaurants.

A binturong (Arctictis binturong) rescued in Binh Dinh province after a concerned resident called ENV. The binturong was later transferred to a rescue center specializing in small carnivores. Binturongs are a type of civet species and are not very common in the wildlife trade.
Photo by Thai, SCP

A large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha) awaits death behind the kitchen at a popular wildlife restaurant in Ha Tay.

Caught in a snare trap, this civet hung in the air until it died. The dead civet was left to decompose before hunters returned to check their traps. This is the sad fate of civets and many other animals caught in traps deep in the forests of Vietnam.
Photo by Frontier

Stuffed: A Large-spotted civet on display at a Dong Hoi hotel. The hotel restaurant offered more than a dozen wildlife species on its menu, including civets.

An Owston’s civet, rescued from smugglers, at a rescue center in northern Vietnam.

A frozen civet lies on top of an icebox in a ‘forest specialty’ restaurant in Dong Hoi city.

Rescued: Rescued from a restaurant in Hai Phong by rangers after ENV's volunteers discovered five live civets in the kitchen, this common palm civet died shortly after it was transferred to a rescue center as a result of injuries to its leg from a snare trap.