Civet: Rare animal that has been a menace to Lugari residents killed

One of the strange animals that have been locking Lugari residents in at night and eating their dogs has been killed.

The animal, called a civet, was identified by residents of Maji Mazuri who notified Eliud Wafula, their friend.

“They were two, one male and the other female. When I was called upon, I found them disappearing into the forest. I went after them with my dogs and killed the female one but the male partner escaped,” he said.

Mr. Wafula said that the female was about to attack a woman who was fetching firewood in the forest.

“It even wanted to attack my dog but I was fast enough to hit it with a club on its head and killed it,” he said.

He also revealed that two of his dogs were bitten by the male one but are now in a stable condition.

The animal has been blamed on a number of deaths of dogs in Mufutu Village, especially female ones.

What is a civet and is it common in Western Kenya?

Wikipedia describes a civet as ‘a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests which applies to over a dozen different species’.

It reveals that civets are commonly found in southeast Asia but the best-known species is the African civet, Civettictis civetta. Historically, it has been the main species from which a musky scent used in perfumery, also referred to as “civet”, was obtained.

Civets have a broadly cat-like general appearance, though the muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like that of an otter, mongoose or even possibly a ferret, Wikipedia says.

The animal is not common in Western Kenya.

Sam Oduor

Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.