Image: © Nashville Zoo
Author
Cale Russell
Published
August 25, 2023 7:47 pm
Location
Nashville, Tennessee, The United States
Keepers at Nashville Zoo are caring for a banded palm civet kit. The new arrival was born on August 12th 2023 at the Tennessee attraction.
The male kit is now on display at the zoo's nursery where it is being raised by the zoo's expert team. Unfortunately soon after birth it was determined that the kits mother was not producing enough milk to adequately feed her baby and without intervention it was unlikely to survive.
As the kit is being hand-raised it will become an ambassador helping to connect a new generation with nature and inspire conservation actions for this threatened species.
Banded palm civets are a small mammal native to rainforests and jungles in Asia. The international Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list the species as near threatened. Habitat loss for deforestation, agriculture, and plantations as well as water damming, hunting and logging have all contributed to the decline in their numbers.
Nashville Zoo have been working to breed this species since 2015.
Guests visiting the zoo may be able to view the banded palm civet kit in the Veterinary Centre nursery.
A banded palm civet kit born on August 12th 2023 at the Nashville Zoo is pictured in the Veterinary Nursery where it is being raised by keepers. Image: © Nashville Zoo
A banded palm civet kit born on August 12th 2023 at the Nashville Zoo is pictured in the Veterinary Nursery where it is being raised by keepers. Image: © Nashville Zoo
About the Author
Cale Russell
Cale has operated The Animal Facts since 2012. During this time he has volunteered and worked across a range of Australian Wildlife Parks something he continues to today. He holds a certificate in Animal Care and Husbandry.
Some species of civet are threatened by collection for the wildlife trade. They are kept so that their civet, a fluid which is obtained from their anal glands and used in perfume, can be harvested.
Image: © Nashville Zoo
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