Four Baby Masked Palm Civets Found in Miaoli Home, Civil Servants Become Foster Nannies

(CNA, Miaoli, May 21, reported by Kuan Jui-ping) Four masked palm civet cubs, yet to grow teeth, were recently discovered in the ceiling interspace of a residence in Miaoli, but their mother was nowhere to be found. The county government, after being notified, took the cubs in and is acting as their temporary caretaker, feeding them milk in shifts and hoping to help them grow and eventually be trained to return to their home in the wild. Chang Wei, Chief of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Section at the Miaoli County Government's Agriculture Department, told CNA today that the four civet cubs were found in a residence in Gongguan Township. The homeowner heard unusual noises coming from the ceiling, and upon investigating, discovered the four little cubs hidden inside. As the mother may have abandoned the nest after being disturbed, the county's Agriculture Department was notified on the 11th and brought the cubs back for care, serving as their temporary nannies. Chang Wei pointed out that since the baby civets have not yet grown teeth, they are mainly being fed a suitable milk substitute. Their weight is measured and their health is monitored daily. Their weight has now reached over 400 grams. As they continue to grow, once they reach about 1 kilogram, soft fruits like bananas will be gradually introduced, and they will be trained to eat on their own. In the future, they will be moved to a pre-release enclosure to help them acclimate to the natural environment and life in the wild, with the ultimate goal of returning them to their natural habitat. The Agriculture Department stated that recent research and rescue data show that masked palm civets are gradually adapting to urban environments and are known to inhabit and raise their young inside buildings. They remind the public not to panic if they find a masked palm civet in their home. It is also recommended not to disturb them first, to prevent the mother from abandoning her cubs, which would leave them unable to survive. Instead, people should call the county's citizen hotline "1999" to report the situation and seek assistance from the government.