Civets and Leopards are active mostly at night, so to catch a leopard stalking a civet in the middle of the road in the middle of the day, is a once-in-a-lifetime sighting!
As the video begins, we see a stalking leopard in the foreground. Ahead of it, a civet emerges from the dry bush.
The leopard uses its camouflage and remains absolutely still, causing the passing civet to remain apparently oblivious to its presence.
The patience of a predator
Keeping a close eye on her target, the leopard lets it pass on the road ahead. She reduces the chances of being spotted in the civet’s peripheral vision by allowing it to get ahead of her.
Predator vigilance absent
Meanwhile, the civet has its nose to the ground. It may be tracking the scent of another civet or trying to pick up the smell of food.
Animals with high predator vigilance regularly raise their heads and scan the surroundings for danger. Somehow, the civet is too focussed on whatever it is trailing to bother with this.
The only sign that the civet is in any way alarmed is that it has raised the hair on its back. They do this when threatened or feeling aggressive.
Time to move
As the civet enters the vegetation on the other side of the road, the leopard follows.
Look before you leap
She pauses before entering the dry grass, aware she may make a noise in the brittle vegetation. Leopards are master strategists, using their environment to heighten their chance of hunting success.
It is curious that she then chooses to leap into the dry grass. Doing so could alert the civet to her presence and ruin the hunt.
The chase is on
It remains unclear whether the landing leopard alerted the civet. However, the video then cuts to the civet being chased deeper into the bush.
However, the chase is short-lived. For reasons unknown, the leopard comes to a standstill, watching the civet disappear into the distance.
More about civets
Many people mistakenly call them civet cats, but they are more closely related to genets, which belong to the family Viverridae.
Although the video shows them active during the day, civets are typically nocturnal. They are solitary animals found in both forest and savannah habitats across much of Africa.
What do they eat?
The African civet is an omnivore, subsisting on a varied diet of green grass, fruits, eggs, insects, rodents (including hares), reptiles and amphibians. When available, civets also feed on carrion.
Civets use fixed latrine sites across their territories, which observers can easily identify by the abundance of insect exoskeletons The latrines act as scent beacons, warning off competitors.
Reproduction
In southern Africa, civets normally mate in October/November, giving birth about 65 days after conception. Civets give birth to one to four young, which they wean after two months.
Are they endangered
CITES classifies civets as “Least Concern”, but people heavily exploit them in northwest Africa. They produce civetone, which is a base ingredient for perfumes.
People catch civets alive and painfully extract the civetone. Sadly, most civets die within weeks from stress and injury in captivity.
Although they are not endangered, it is almost certain that their future is precarious when we consider man’s rampant disregard for even endangered species.
