THREE months after the capture of a wild jungle creature which had been roaming the gardens of Halesowen, what could be its mate has been spotted in Cradley.

Pensioner Ray Bending had an early morning surprise when he came across an Asian palm civet while walking two of his dogs on Bath Meadow.

His wife, Doreen, said the animal was immediately recognisable by its long nose from pictures in the News.

“It was just sat starring and didn’t seem bothered – it didn’t run off,” said Mrs Bending, aged 78, of Banner Street.

Her husband, aged 80, had taken two of the couple’s three dogs for a 7am stroll  todaywhen he came across the wild animal.

He and rang the RSPCA but was told they would not be able to come out to track down the animal.

Asian palm civets are native of Asia and Southeast Asia and it is probable that the Cradley civet had been paired with the one found in Halesowen in February and either escaped or were abandoned by their owner.

After several reports of the civet earlier this year it was taken away by the RSPCA after wandering into a garage of a house in Belbroughton Road.

Coincidentally,  earlier this week the RSPCA reported to the News that the animal had been rehomed with specialist carers in the south of England.

The nocturnal mammals are known to be kept as exotic pets, but in their natural jungle environment, farmers harvest coffee beans from their stools which are used to make the world’s most expensive luwak coffee, which sells in London for £60 a cup.