Group of hikers frees musang caught in a trap on Zambales’ highest peak
A group of hikers came to the rescue of a palm civet that was caught in a snare along the trail of Mt. Tapulao in Zambales.
Based on the report of GMA News, which aired on Kuya Kim’s segment on “24 Oras” on Thursday, November 12, the animal was seen struggling in a trap in a video taken by hiker Sly-King Danago while their group was exploring the mountain, the highest peak of the Zambales Mountain Range.
At first, the hikers thought it was a cat because of its looks and its unusually long tail. They later found out that it was a palm civet, locally known as “musang.”
“First of all, we felt sorry for the civet because it seemed to be struggling,” Danago said in Filipino.
According to their guide, the trap may have been set up by local hunters in the area. This made the group decide right away to help the animal.
“We decided to do something to set it free. We cut the rope,” he shared.
The video showed the civet eventually getting free from the snare. However, Danago said he is still worried that the animal might get caught in another trap since the group reportedly spotted many of them along the trail.
“Along the trail, we saw a lot of traps. It’s a sad reality. I hope people stop setting up these kinds of traps because, in the future, our children might no longer get to see these animals,” he said.
Nonie Enolva of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the civet was likely just a bycatch, explaining that such traps are usually meant for monitor lizards and other lizard species. She expressed hope that those setting up traps know what is prohibited.
Palm civets are often mistaken for cats and are also called “toddy cats,” but they are not part of the cat family. They belong to the family Viverridae, are active at night, and mostly live in trees, using their long tails for balance.
The public is encouraged to report wild animals found caught in traps to the proper authorities.
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