VietNamNet Bridge – The large-spotted civet species recently discovered in the Phong Dien Nature Reserve in Hue city was previously considered to be extinct in Vietnam and China by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to the Forest Protection Department of Thua Thien - Hue province, Phong Dien Nature Reserve and the Viet Nature recently conducted a camera trap program and recorded the images of nine endangered species at the global level.

Among them are two species of civets with the scientific names Owston's civet Chrotogale owstoni and Large-spotted civet Viverra megaspila.

The Owston's civet Chrotogale owstoni has only been recorded through camera traps in two areas in Vietnam: the Phong Dien Nature Reserve in 2016 and the Thua Thien - Hue Saola preservation area in 2015.

The large-spotted Civet Viverra megaspila was only recorded in the wild for the first time by camera trapping in the Phong Dien Nature Reserve. According to the IUCN, this species was previously supposed to be extinct in China and Vietnam.

According to IUCN, Roberton (2007) traced only nine confirmed records from Vietnam, two of which were since 1990. Willcox et al. (2012) looked at camera-trap records from across Vietnam and found only two records: U Minh Thuong National Park (Nguyen et al. 2004) and Yok Don National Park (Eames et al. 2004). 

Subsequent small carnivore-focused surveys in the U Minh Melalueca-dominated wetlands failed to record the species, as have similar surveys in lowland habitats e.g. the Ke Go-Khe Net Lowlands and Cat Tien National Park. 

Large-spotted Civetsare very rare in Vietnam and probably very close to national extinction, according to IUCN.

Son Nguyen