Civet rescues from air-conditioning duct in East Patel Nagar

An Asian Palm Civet, that belongs to a protected species, was rescued from an air-conditioning duct of a house in East Patel Nagar today.
It comes days after a member of the same species was found inside a laboratory in Delhi University's South Campus, after possibly straying from the nearby woods.
Wildlife SOS, the NGO behind both the rescue operations, said it was unclear where the civet, also known as toddy cat, came from in the East Patel Nagar house, since there is no forest area adjoining the west Delhi locality.
"We had to be very careful with the civet as it was in stress and visibly scared. The residents said that they had seen the animal in the area a couple of times before in the past three days but did not know what it was," a member of the rescue team said.

It was subsequently released in the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.
"Even though the Palm Civet is a shy animal, this is the second rescue we have done in the past ten days. Habitat encroachment and deforestation are happening at a startling pace and that is beginning to redefine the boundaries between forest and urban areas," said Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of the NGO.
The animal, a native to South and Southeast Asia, can survive in a wide range of habitats and is rarely seen in urban environments considering its shy nature.
They are protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.