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In the wild

Opportunities to observe ferret badgers in the wild are extremely limited. These animals are nocturnal, and very shy. Although their eyesight is poor, their sense of smell is acute, and this usually helps them to detect - and avoid - any humans who might approach. [b001]

Although I am not aware of any locations where people can expect to see ferret badgers in the wild, several chance encounters have been reported. In 1999, Susan Myers was lucky enough to see three or four Burmese ferret badgers Melogale personata near the headquarters of Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam. Susan came across them when she set out to go spotlighting one night. The badgers were feeding on food scraps that were thrown on the ground near the restaurant. Although the animals were not approachable, they were not particularly shy either and good sightings were enjoyed.

Susan says that the ferret badgers near to the Cat Tien HQ are neither encouraged or discouraged, but the ones she saw were definitely there because of human activity. The location is not a 'known' spot for seeing ferret badgers, and indeed when Susan returned the following year (December 2000) she did not see them. [w132, c017]

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In captivity

For guaranteed observations of ferret badgers, you will need to visit one of the small number of zoos where there are captive specimens. Chinese ferret badgers Melogale moschata can be seen in some zoos in Taiwan for example, while a visit to the zoo in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) should provide you with views of the Burmese ferret badger. The latter species should also be on display in Singapore Zoo: in June 2001, it was announced that a trade in animals specimens would result in Singapore's Zoological Gardens of Wildlife Reserves receiving a Burmese ferret badger (and a hog badger) from Thailand [w365].

If anybody can provide any further information about opportunities to see ferret badgers in the wild or in captivity, please e-mail me with the details and I will share them with others on this website.

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Picture credits

The Burmese ferret badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Mr Sawai Wanghongsa, and used with the kind permission of the Royal Forest Department of Thailand. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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