OPERATIVES of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon reported the rescue of two palm civet cats in Bulacan province.
The endangered animals were rescued last week by the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office through its Guiguinto Forest Protection Team in Bulacan.
The animals were discovered during an investigation on a furniture factory in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
The investigation also led to the confiscation of 19 pieces of hardwood lumber with an approximate volume of 418 board feet worth P20,000.
The DENR, in a statement posted on its social media page, said the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), locally known as "musang," is thought to be threatened due to its role in producing one of the most expensive specialty coffees in the world.
Civet coffee is made from beans that pass through the Civet's digestive tract and costs up to P30,000 kilogram in some parts of the world, according to research.
The rescued civet cats were turned over to the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) in Quezon City for care and rehabilitation, and they will be released back to the wild, the DENR added.
"Civet cats are better left #wildandalive because they eat berries and pulpy fruits as a major food source and thus help to maintain and restore tropical forest ecosystems through seed dispersal. These animals also play an important role in the natural regeneration of some trees. Let us protect our wildlife and their habitat by sharing this post, reporting wildlife crime to the nearest DENR office in your area, and avoiding the capture of wildlife that help in propagating our forests," the DENR said in a post on Facebook.