The African civet looks like a cat, but it isn’t one — and its scent gland once perfumed some of the world’s most famous fragrances. This large, nocturnal omnivore will eat almost anything, from millipedes and snakes to fruit and coffee cherries, and its distinctive musky secretion was a prized ingredient in European perfumery for centuries. It’s one of the most rewarding finds on a night drive. Explore our Tanzania safaris for the best night-drive itineraries.
Key Highlights
- Not a cat, despite its “civet cat” nickname — it belongs to its own family alongside genets and mongooses
- Africa’s largest viverrid, weighing up to 20kg
- Produces a musky scent once used as a fixative in classic European perfumes
- Eats an extraordinarily broad diet, including millipedes, snakes, and fruit
- Related coffee-cherry feeding habits inspired the origins of civet coffee
- Strictly nocturnal, so a night drive is the only way to see one
Not a Cat, Despite the Name
The African civet (Civettictis civetta) is often mistaken for a cat on a night drive — a fair assumption given its spotted, cat-like coat and face. But it isn’t one. It belongs to the Viverridae family, a lineage that split off from cats tens of millions of years ago and is more closely related to genets, mongooses, and even hyenas than to any true feline. At up to 20kg, it’s the largest member of its family found anywhere in Africa, noticeably bigger than smaller relatives like the genet.
A Scent Gland That Shaped European Perfume
The African civet is historically famous for something most visitors never expect: a scent gland near the base of the tail that produces a thick, intensely musky secretion called civetone. Civets use this secretion constantly, dragging the gland against logs, rocks, and grass tussocks dozens of times a night to mark territory and communicate reproductive status to other civets.
For centuries, this same secretion was harvested, mainly from farmed civets in Ethiopia, and exported to European perfume houses, where it served as a prized base note in classic fragrances well into the 20th century. Synthetic substitutes have since largely replaced natural civetone, but the African civet’s role in the early perfume industry is a genuinely surprising piece of natural history most safari visitors have never heard.
An Appetite for Almost Anything
Few carnivores in East Africa eat as broad a diet as the African civet. It happily tackles millipedes, even the kind that curl into a tight, chemically defended ball — the civet works around the defence by pressing the millipede against the ground until the toxic secretion rubs off before eating it. It also eats frogs, lizards, small mammals, birds, and even snakes, showing a notable tolerance for venomous prey like the puff adder that would deter many other predators. Fruit makes up a substantial part of its diet too, especially in the wet season, when figs and wild berries are abundant.
One particularly interesting habit is eating coffee cherries in highland forest areas. The seeds pass through the civet’s digestive system largely intact, undergoing a natural fermentation process along the way — the same basic principle behind the more famous Asian “civet coffee” industry, with African civets playing an earlier, lesser-known role in that same tradition.
A Solitary, Strictly Nocturnal Life
African civets are solitary and intensely territorial, marking their range with scent dozens of times each night as they patrol a fixed circuit through their territory. They’re active almost exclusively after dark, resting during the day in a dense thicket, an old aardvark burrow, or a hollow at the base of a termite mound, often returning to the same den for several nights in a row before moving to an alternative site within the same territory.
Where to Find One on a Night Drive
Because civets are strictly nocturnal, a standard daytime game drive won’t produce a sighting — a dedicated night drive is essential. The Ndutu Conservation Area in Tanzania offers some of the best odds, with a good population in its mixed woodland and grassland habitat. In Kenya, the Olare Motorogi Conservancy bordering the Masai Mara is another strong option, and Tarangire’s baobab woodland, particularly in private concessions around the park, also supports healthy civet numbers.
A good night drive in any of these areas often turns up more than just civets — honey badgers, servals, genets, and other nocturnal specialists tend to share the same active window in the first few hours after dark, making a dedicated night drive one of the most rewarding additions to any safari itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the African civet a cat?
No, despite the “civet cat” nickname. It belongs to the Viverridae family, a separate lineage more closely related to genets and mongooses than to true cats.
Why was the African civet important to the perfume industry?
Its musky scent gland secretion, called civetone, was historically harvested and used as a base note fixative in classic European perfumes before synthetic alternatives became common.
What does an African civet eat?
An unusually broad diet including millipedes, frogs, small mammals, birds, snakes, and fruit — making it one of the most dietary flexible carnivores in East Africa.
Where can you see an African civet?
The Ndutu Conservation Area, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and Tarangire’s surrounding concessions all offer good chances on a dedicated night drive, since civets are strictly nocturnal.
Plan Your Safari
Our safari specialists can arrange a night-drive itinerary for the best chance of encountering the African civet and other nocturnal specialists.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote on your safari.
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