Recently, small Indian civets (Viverricula indica), a national first-class protected wild animal, were discovered through multiple infrared cameras foraging in the Wuqinzhang area of Huizhou's Huidong County.
(Photo: Nanfang Plus)
The footage reveals the civet, resembling both a cat and a fox, cautiously observing its surroundings and delicately searching for food in the forest, displaying an endearing demeanor.
Vice President Li Cheng of the association noted that the group first detected the species in the Wuqinzhang (乌禽嶂) region in 2019. Since 2022, the filming rate has increased annually, with nearly half of the infrared cameras installed on mountainsides or near pangolin burrows now capturing images of the species.
The small Indian civet faced population decline due to habitat changes and human activities. However, with the ongoing ecological restoration efforts under the Green and Beautiful Huidong initiative, the local environment has steadily improved, leading to a gradual recovery of the civet population in Wuqinzhang.
The resurgence serves as a microcosm of broader ecological improvement in the region, where other rare and endangered species, such as the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), now thrive and reproduce.
The increasing presence of these species underscores the effectiveness of ecological conservation measures and the restoration of biodiversity in southern China's subtropical forests.
Author | Jiang Chang
Editor | Liu Lingzhi, James Campion, Shen He
