The Parliament House had a unique visitor on Monday morning when a palm civet, a small mammal that looks like a cross between a mongoose and a wild cat, strayed into its premises.

The endangered mammal, which probably came looking for shelter, was rescued and is now under medical observation.

The palm civet, locally referred to as kabr bicchu or grave digger, is a harmless and largely nocturnal animal with an omnivorous diet, feeding on fruits and sometimes scavenging.

Wildlife SOS, a non-government organisation working for welfare of animals, received a call from Parliament House about a strange-looking animal inside their premises.

“The panic-stricken staff of Parliament House contacted Wildlife SOS on their helpline (9871963535). A rescue team rushed to the spot and confirmed that the animal was a common palm civet, which was hiding behind a television set. The team rescued the animal which was found to be severely dehydrated,’’ said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS.

“The civet was provided medical care immediately and will be released back into its natural habitat after necessary observation procedures,’’ he added.

Civets are arboreal (tree climbers) often finding shelter in air conditioner ducts, attics, false ceilings, etc.

“Delhi is very fortunate to be home to such unique and endangered wildlife and we should all be working harder to ensure that green areas remain to provide these animals cover and food,” said Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS.

“It is the need of the hour to educate people more about wildlife conservation and habitat protection,” added Mr. Satyanarayan.