Animals in Ghana : AFRICAN CIVET.

Whiles traveling from Saltpond in the Central Region to the capital Accra of Ghana, the driver stopped in one of the towns en-route Accra. Two young men approached our car holding two of these animals, obviously on sale.

I was surprise at the sight of these animals because i thought they were from the family of raccoons which are found largely in Europe and the North Americas. After posting in a Facebook group, i finally got the name of the animal; An African spotted CIVET.

They are mostly nocturnal mammals. They feed on small vertebrates, invertebrates, eggs, carrion and vegetable matter. They are capable of taking on poisonous invertebrates (such as the millipedes most other species avoid) and snakes.

Civets have a broadly cat-like general appearance, though the muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like that of a mongoose. 

They  produce a musk (also called civet) highly valued as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume. Both male and female civets produce the strong-smelling secretion, which is produced by the civet's perineal glands. 

The musk is harvested by either killing the animal and removing the glands, or by scraping the secretions from the glands of a live animal. The latter is the preferred method today.

Civets are endangered species and can also be used as pets. I will sure love to have one as a pet in the future.

The African Spirits

Even in those centuries, they abhorred  corrupt people,
Here we are, filled with all the Godly people,
Whiles toddlers and infants die of malaria and measles.
Wondering how the Spirits will render us clean of these malady,
Wondering how the spirits shall lead us to Electricity and Water.

Here we are, sitting in abundance and shame,
Our amulets began to wane when we threw our hands inane,
We are back to centuries afore when The vultures landed ashore,
O sour memory of extorted kisses,
Promises mutilated by daily whisperings,
Known men, we never really knew,
To our satisfaction, we christen them; Spirits.
-Kwesi Moore

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Once while reading an article from an online outlet, i read a post where an African Bishop blames the woes of the land to Spirits. I was a bit upset but on a second thought acknowledged the sense in what he said. Truly, the African leaders are Spirits. The poem was a 15 minutes thought with two lines inspired by David Diop's, The Vulture.
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