Malay Civet

Malay Civet

Viverra tangalunga

Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Danum Valley Conservation Area
32 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
97 Verified sightings across all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Malay Civet

The Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga), also known as the Malay civet and Oriental civet, is a viverrid native to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, the Riau Archipelago, and the Philippines. It is listed as "Least Concern" by IUCN as it is a relatively widely distributed, appears to be tolerant of degraded habitats, and occurs in a number of protected areas.

Viverra tangalunga was the scientific name proposed by John Edward Gray in 1832 for a spotted zoological specimen. The Malay civet's tail is black above and ringed on the lower side. The historical range of the Malay civet includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore. In Malaysia, it occurs in Borneo, Banggi Island, Langkawi Island, Penang Island and in Peninsular Malaysia.

It also occurs in Sumatra. It was introduced to Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands. Museum records indicate that the Malay civet also occurred on the Indonesian islands of Java, Bawal and Telok Pai, and on the Philippine island Leyte. In 2012, an individual was photographed in Singapore.

The Malay civet population in the Philippines may have... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
2 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
3 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
4 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
5 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Malay Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Malay Civet sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Malay Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

February has the highest sighting rate for Malay Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area in our monthly data.

← Back to Danum Valley Conservation Area