Coffee
Kopi Luwak, also known as caphe cut chon (fox-dung
coffee) in Vietnam and kape alamid in the Philippines, is coffee that
is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partially
digested by the Asian palm civet, then harvested from its fecal
matter. The civets digest the flesh of the coffee cherries but pass the
beans inside, leaving their stomach enzymes to go to work on the beans, which
adds to the coffee's prized aroma and flavor. 1 pound (0.45 kg) can cost
up to $600 in some parts of the world and about $100 a cup in others. A
2012 investigation by the Guardian newspaper found Indonesian civets
held separately in cramped cages. The animals were force-fed a debilitating
diet of coffee cherries in conditions described by the Traffic charity
as "awful" and "horrific". There is a campaign under way to
encourage "ethical civet coffee".
Pets
Some of the indigenous people in Peninsular
Malaysia, the Orang Asli, may occasionally keep pet civets.
Urban Environments
Palm civets often venture into urban and suburban environments,
with people often complaining about civet feces or noise from the animals
climbing on roofs. Some studies have been undertaken to examine and mitigate
human-animal conflict in these cases.
Natural Environments
Civet is a carnivorous animal, and like
other species of civet, it survives on a meat-based diet, supplemented by
the odd plant or fruit. Small animals such as
rodents,lizards, snakes and frogs make up the majority of
the civet's diet, along withinsects and other small creatures
scuttling through the under-growth. Civets are also known to eat the fruits and
flowers of palms, mangos and coffee in their natural habitats.
Despite being a secretive yet relatively
ferocious predatory animal, civet is actually preyed upon by a number
of predators within their natural environment. Large
predatory cats are the most common predators of the Asian
palm civet including tigers and leopards along
with reptiles such as large snakes and crocodiles.