The impacts of commercial civet farming in central Vietnam

Abstract

Demand for wild meat (consumed as a luxury) and civet coffee (produced from coffee beans that have been partially digested and then excreted by civets) has driven the establishment of civet farms in South-east Asia, including in Vietnam. Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is the main species kept in civet farms. Little is known about the impacts of these farms on wild civet populations. In 2020, semi-structured interviews were used to explore the status and trade dynamics of 57 commercial civet farms in Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces, Vietnam. Interviewees comprised civet farm owners as well as local government staff that were responsible for monitoring these facilities. Sixty four percent of interviewed farm owners reported restocking with wild caught civets. Sixty three percent reported disease as a cause of captive mortalities. At one facility, approximately 200 civets reportedly died in one mortality event because of an unknown disease. Twenty percent of the farms kept more civets than were legally registered. High mortality and low breeding success rates were reported by 74% of owners. Civet farms in these two provinces are an ongoing threat to wild civet populations and potentially also to public health. These facilities are probably beyond regulatory control. The commercial farming of civets for their meat and civet coffee production should be phased out to support conservation and as a zoonotic disease prevention measure.