Today I woke up to hear a crow having a fit outside. It sounded like it was right outside my front door. When I looked outside, I didn't see a crow, but I did see this.
From what I've been able to figure out, it's a masked palm civet (ハクビシン or 白鼻しん）. It is not native to Japan, but they do live here. This one appears injured -- it's walking in circles and every so often one of it's paws would turn upside down. They are nocturnal, so I normally wouldn't see one in daytime.
I will leave it alone.
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3 comments:
weird! beware of rabies in critters acting unnatural.
Japan is believed to be rabies-free. At least there has not been a case of rabies diagnosed there since the 1950's, and they take very strict measures to ensure that any animals that are imported are not reintroducing it. (Or so my sources tell me.)
The virus that causes SARS is a concern in a civet with neurologic signs, but there have been no reports of transmission of SARS since 2004, as you would expect if it were running rampant in the local edible wildlife.
And if the beastie's got canine distemper, you can't get it.
Not to say that you should go up to it and give it a big kiss or anything... but I wouldn't worry overly much.
Wo, a civet. I have never seen one. To bad it is injured. it would be nice if some animal rescue oranization would find the animal and help it. I'm not sure if these types of orginizations exist in Japan though.
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