Congo water civet

The Congo water civet (Osbornictis piscivora) is a tropical African mammal that resembles an otter in its habits. It is a semiaquatic, fish-eating civet belonging to the family Viverridae. Civets, in general, are long-bodied carnivores with short legs, found across Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. They typically have a catlike appearance with a bushy tail, small ears, and a pointed snout, and their coloration varies but often includes spots or stripes.12

While most civets are terrestrial, the Congo water civet, along with the Sunda otter civet and the African civet, are semiaquatic species. Civets are usually solitary, foraging at night for small animals and plant matter. They possess anal glands that secrete a musky substance used for marking territory, which is also commercially harvested for perfumes.2