The nocturnal African mammal known for a musky secretion used in luxury perfumes is the African civet.
The African civet (Civettictis civetta) is a solitary, mostly nocturnal viverrid found across sub-Saharan Africa. It has a cat-like body, a long muzzle, dark markings, and a mane that can rise when it feels threatened, but it is not a true cat.
Both male and female African civets produce civet, a strong-smelling secretion from perineal glands. In concentrated form it can smell unpleasant, but when diluted it has been valued by perfumers as a fragrance and fixative that helps other scents last longer. Historically, the material was scraped from living animals or obtained after killing them.
The African civet should not be confused with the Asian palm civet, another nocturnal viverrid associated with Southeast Asia and kopi luwak coffee. Ethical concerns and synthetic substitutes have greatly reduced the use of natural civet in modern perfumery.