Confined to tiny, filthy cages and suffering from skin infections, this is how farmers are treating Asian civet cats which produce one of the most expensive coffees in the world.The shocking conditions were discovered by animal investigators on farms in Indonesia and the Philippines which produce the much sought-after kopi kuwak, sold in Harrods and which can cost up to £60 a cup in some restaurants.Locals pick the ‘coffee beans’ from the faeces the cats which eat the ripe coffee berries as part of their diet. Once they are cleaned they are roasted. The coffee they produce is described as filled with a deep, mellow flavour, not acidic, with a ‘unique, soft, sweet taste’.However, undercover video footage shows civets exhibiting neurotic behaviour such as incessant pacing, spinning and head-bobbing – indications that the wild-caught animals are going insane from boredom and depression. Caged: A civet cat on a farm in Indonesia. An investigation found the animals, which produce the sought-after kopi kuwak coffee, suffer in appalling conditions

Distressed: Investigators from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals found cats injured, pacing and showing signs of depression Frightened: The coffee beans are produced from the civet cats' excrement and can cost up to £60 a cup Cramped: The coffee has become popular among the rich and famous - but these pictures shine new light on how the expensive delicacy is produced One farmer explained civets are generally kept caged for around three years. civets eating too many coffee berries to humans smoking, as the civets' health deteriorates greatly during captivity because of a lack of Despite the battery farm conditions, many farms sell the product as 'wild', sourced in the jungle from the droppings of free-roaming animals.Tony Wild, former coffee trader and author of 'Coffee: A Dark History', told the BBC: 'The whole reason everybody regurgitates that story is that by being incredibly rare, you can keep a ridiculously high price.'The coffee has surged in popularity, especially in the U.S. and Japan after featuring on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the film, The Bucket List.In a separate investigation by the BBC

, it was found one of the most popular products called Wahana Luwak, which is supplied to Harrods, was being produced by a company, Sari Makmur, which uses caged civets. Trapped: The animals are fed vast amounts of berries, which help produce the rich and distinctive flavour of the beans Dark secret: The final product is often sold as 'wild' - but these images prove the cats are anything but free-range Confined: Cats are kept in tiny cages for most of the dayBengal Cats For Sale In West Virginia Workers said some civets were kept enclosed, despite initial denials from the company, which later backed down and admitted it DID use cages.Gt 3000 Air Purifier Owner'S ManualHowever, it said the product supplied to Harrods came only from free-range animals and animals were put inside only to study their behaviour.Cheap German Shepherd Puppies For Sale In Kentucky

The comapny said in a statement: 'In our caged civet cats programme, we study the animal behaviour, diet and its breeding behaviour.'In order to sustain or meet the demand for this market, we breed our own civet cats and then release them in our farm when they are mature enough.'We do not sell any of the coffee beans from the caged luwak as it is against our business model.' Let me out: Industry experts are convinced non-wild civet coffee has ended up on the London market Money spinner: Harrods is among the shops to sell the delicacy in London but it insists its product is entirely ethical No hope: This cat looks particularly unhappy as it peers into the camera lens of an animal cruelty investigator There is no suggestion of animal cruelty on the company's estate.Harrods said: 'Harrods works closely with all its suppliers to ensure the highest standards of ethical sourcing, production and trade are maintained. This is carried out through strict auditing procedures.'Our exclusive supplier… has given Harrods every assurance the coffee we are provided with is organic, and comes from wild palm civets.'

Shop: Harrods said it was confident in its suppliers. The up-market shop sells the beans which can fetch more than £300 a kilo PETA UK Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi said farms which do enclosed civets were cruel. 'Confining civet cats for years – as they go mad and lose their fur from the stress – for an expensive coffee would turn the stomach of any compassionate person.'In the wild, civets frequently climb trees to reach the ripe coffee berries, but in captivity, they are fed more of the fruit than would ever be natural for them.he civet cat is a small mammal which belongs to the Viverridae family. In Indonesia these animals are known as Luwaks. Palm civet cats have a body length of about 53 cm (21 in) and weigh between 2 to 5 kg (4.4 to 11.0 lb). Their appearance resembles a cat at first sight, but their legs are much shorter and its tail is much longer compared to an ordinary cat. Palm civet cats inhabit almost all parts of Southeast Asia, India, Nepal and Sri-Lanka.

Tropical forests are their preferred habitat but they can also be found in logged forests. They are not considered an endangered species, although their population has been affected by increasing deforestation and hunting. In some countries palm civets are also kept as pets. Palm civets are all-eaters or omnivores. Their diet consists of small mammals and insects and also fruits and berries such as the coffee berries. As a beneficial side effect, palm civet cats generously disperse seeds maintaining the tropical-ecosystem due to their movements through the forest. This little animal is most famous due to it’s particular affection for coffee berries. As mentioned previously, palm civet cats living in the wild love eating delicious coffee beans. Usually, they collect just the tastiest beans for their diet. In the 19th century – when Indonesia was a Dutch colony– it was illegal to sell coffee beans to the local Indonesian population because all the coffee beans were exported to Europe.

Therefore, the locals collected the feces of wild palm civet cats because the coffee seeds inside of the droppings were left undigested. Soon, the special flavor of this civet coffee, better known as kopi luwak coffee, became known to the Dutch farmers, who started drinking it themselves. This was in part a lucky development for the civets. Before kopi luwak coffee became popular, civet cats were seen as a plague by the local farmers because they destroyed farmland and were usually shot on sight. Today, they and more precisely their feces, are seen as a potential cash cow which is why shooting civets has become less popular. Still, their new reputation has some negative side effects. For instance, capturing civets for coffee farming under cruel caged conditions is posing the greatest threat for them today. PROOFED AND CERTIFIED KOPI LUWAK FOR SALE: #1 Wild Kopi Luwak, the World's Most Exclusive Coffee, Sustainably Sourced From Sumatra Shops, where you could buy it (click):