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Malaysia sometimes surprises both locals and non-locals with its diverse wildlife, especially in the city where we don’t usually see other animals other than the usual cats, dogs, squirrels, birds, and rats.
A British-Filipina model and her friend recently encountered a Malayan civet in KLCC park, Kuala Lumpur. Known as Musang Pandan to locals, the racoon-looking animal is an elusive nocturnal creature, coming out mostly at night to feed.
In a video that went viral on TikTok, the girls asked “Is that a cat? It looks so weird. Is it a skunk?”, as they tried to guess what the animal is. The animal looked undeterred as the girls filmed it, munching away on something while staying in place.
@nicolecrewe What is thaaat?! KLCC encounter with strange animal @ⵏⵉⵀⴰⵍ #malaysian #malaysia #malaysiatiktok #fyp #foryoupage #livinginmalaysia #kualalumpur #kualalumpur #klcc ♬ original sound – Nicole Crewe
People gave hilarious answers to answer their question
True to form, some people left funny comments. While some gave truthful answers, others tried to pull their leg.
One person commented saying the civet is a “portable coffee maker”, referrencing another type of civet that is used as part of a process to make a special type of coffee popular in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, many Malaysians were surprised to see a Malayan civet just hanging out in the middle of KLCC park where there are lots of people. The animal is known to shy away from human contact, but this one was probably used to company (or just really hungry).
They’re not foxes and are not the same as Asian palm civets that make “kopi luwak”
The Malayan Civet, often referred to as “Musang” – meaning “fox” – by Malaysians, are not actually foxes.
They belong to the Viverridae family of the Viverra tangalunga species and are omnivorous, often feeding on small animals, insects, fruits, and other plant matter.
It is a fully nocturnal animal, which is why we rarely see them during the day and hard to detect one in the dark of night. They are also highly adaptable animals, being able to live in places ranging from lowland forests to cities.
The Malayan civet is often mistaken for the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), the species associated with kopi luwak, but they are different both in appearance and behavior.
Kopi luwak is a type of coffee made from beans that have been eaten, digested, and excreted by the Asian palm civet. Those who enjoy kopi luwak often describes the taste as smooth, earthy, mild, and chocolatey.
We know the idea of drinking civet poop-coffee sounds gross, but the process it goes through makes the coffee safe and delicious to enjoy.
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