New Delhi (NVI): An Asian Palm Civet created flutter after it was found trapped inside ladies toilet at Kendriya Vidyalaya school in South Delhi’s Katwaria Sarai area. The rare animal was safely rescued by the Wildlife SOS and later released its natural habitat.
The staff at the school called the Wildlife SOS at its 24*7 helpline number, following which a team of two rescuers arrived at the spot. The animal was spotted stuck behind the toilet pod by one of the students who went to the washroom after the morning session.
The rescuers found the overwrought animal trapped behind the commode, struggling to free itself. The narrow confines of the restroom also turned the operation into a challenge. Following the rescue operation, which lasted almost 30 minutes, the civet was released back into its natural habitat.
Rakesh Dhyani, the Kendriya Vidyalaya staff who called the wildlife NGO said, “We had to take immediate action as the civet’s presence was stirring excitement in the school and we did not want any mishaps to occur. The forest department guided us to Wildlife SOS and mentioned that they are experts when it comes to dealing with urban wildlife. Their team handled the rescue quite skillfully.”
Wasim Akram, Deputy Director – Special Projects, Wildlife SOS, said the rescue team had to work quickly and efficiently to ensure that the animal was safe and sound. “Since this was a school, there were a lot of enthusiastic children they were dealing with, so crowd control was a bit of an issue. The team had to employ quite some dexterity to ensure that it did not hurt itself during the rescue.”
The Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) also called a toddy cat, is a small member of the family Viverridae native to South and Southeast Asia. Civet cats play an important role in the ecosystem by controlling the rodent population and are prime contributors to the dispersal of seeds as they often feed on feed on fruits, berries, coffee beans, insects and small mammals. This species is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
