Karura Forest 50: Super Smeller!
The cache, a small camo-pot, is hidden under leaves in the rear middle of a multi-stemmed thorny tree about 1m off the track on the upper side. The creature which is the subject of this cache and also #47 and #49 is a resident of the forest which you will probably not see as it is a secretive nocturnalist. However it has been captured on one of the Karura Cams which are set up at various sites in the forest to record animal movements.
To reach the cache: Enter the Forest at Limuru Gate @ S 01 14.830 E 36 48.947, pay the entry fee and proceed to park at the KFEET Centre. From the boom at the KFEET junction @ S 01 14.446 E 36 49.146 head north to Junction 12 and then continue straight ahead along the Syke's Monkey Trail to Junction 12a. Turn left (NW) here and follow the trail down, across the river bridge and then up again to the junction at S 01 13.800 E 36 49.173. Turn right (NE) here and proceed through Junction 33 and on to J34. Turn right (SE) here and continue for about 500m to the cache location.
This is just one of several routes you can use to reach the cache, depending on your caching plans for the day. Check the map (see link below) for others.
Note: as always, kindly take care to replace the cache carefully so that it is properly concealed using the available materials
For background information on Karura Forest including access, fees, features, a detailed trail map and useful links, see GC4PD3V Karura Forest #1: Intro, Info & Entry
(Continued from GC6NQXK KF#49: Valuable Viverrid)
. . . The perineal gland is what the African civet is well known for and it has historically been the species most often harvested for it. This gland secretes a white 
or yellow waxy substance called civetone, which is used by civets for marking territory and by humans as a perfume base. The strong odour can last for up to 3 months. Perineal and anal glands are found in both male and female African civets, however, the glands are bigger in males, which can produce a stronger secretion.
Communal latrines or ‘civetries’, often found next to puddles on tracks and in clearings, are thought to be used by African civets in communication and to mark territory boundaries. Scats are left in an unburied pile in an area less than 0.5 m2, and it adds anal secretions when defecating to release a long-term scent. Scent marks are usually 31-39cm from the ground and often overlaid by other individuals, possibly to communicate reproductive condition and territoriality.
It is omnivorous, eating insects, fruit (eg. figs), rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, fish, crabs, carrion and eggs. Insects are typically more commonly eaten in the warmer wet summer months (Oct-Apr) and mice, reptiles and birds in the colder drier winter months (May-Sep) to include more.
Civet, has been a basic ingredient of perfumes for 100s of years, it is still used today but declining since the creation of synthetic musk. African civets have been kept in captivity and milked for their civet which is diluted into perfumes. They can secrete 3-4g/week which can fetch ~$500/kg. Chanel, Cartier, and Lancôme have all used it and lab tests found it in the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. Even though synthetic alternatives have been available for over 60 years, it remains an important export commodity in several countries , including Ethiopia and Niger. The African civet is commonly found in Nigerian bushmeat markets, where there is demand for its skin and white meat.
Its average lifespan is 15-20 years. Mating occurs in the warm and wet summer months because of the large populations of insects. Females create a nest, normally in dense vegetation or a hollow tree trunk, and commonly in a hole dug by another animal.
Females are polyestrous and can have up to 3 litters a year of 1-4 young born in advanced stages compared to most carnivores, after a 2-month gestation. They are covered in a dark, short fur and can crawl at birth. They leave the nest after 18 days but are still dependent on the mother for milk and protection for another 2 months.
Civets are known carriers of rabies. They are also hunted for their beautiful pelts.
Videos: see here for an African civet (unusually) chilling out during the day, here for one foraging in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, and here for one at a waterhole in Kruger National Park.