Bride in this country gets 100 civet cats as dowry; they are used to make...; priced at whopping Rs...

A bride in Vietnam received an extravagant dowry from her parents that included as many as 100 civet cats -- a cat-like mammal. Civets are used in the production of Kopi Luwak -- one of the costliest coffees in the world. The 22-year-old bride, whose name has not been revealed in the media, also received gold bars, hefty cash, company shares, and several high-value properties as part of her dowry.

Civets worth lakhs of rupees
According to a report by The South China Morning Post, the civets, all of them female, are worth an estimated USD 70,000 or over Rs 60 lakh (as per today's exchange rate).
Besides, her dowry included more than two dozen gold bars, USD 20,000 in cash, company stocks valued above USD 11,000, seven expensive properties, and other assets. In return, the groom’s family offered a "bride price" of USD 7,600 in cash, 10 gold bars, and diamond jewelry.

Why civets are so valuable
Civets are considered quite valuable in Vietnam, where just one female can bring in around USD 700 or nearly Rs 60,000, while a pregnant one may fetch over USD 1,000 (Rs 85,000). These animals play a key role in producing the Kopi Luwak coffee: civets consume ripe coffee cherries, and later the beans are collected from their excrement, processed, and roasted into a premium brew.
Not just that, civet cats' meat is seen as a luxury food in Vietnam as well as in China, and is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Bride's father says...
The bride's father said he wanted his daughter to have income-generating assets so she could be financially independent. "My daughter is a business school graduate. She is fully capable of managing these assets. No matter the method, it ensures her financial independence," he said. It was totally up to her whether to raise or sell the civets, the father added.

Mixed reactions online
Reactions to the incident on social media platforms was mixed. Some people praised the family for gifting the bride assets that could ensure her economic independence. However, many others pointed to the ethical implications of the act, saying it would likely lead to exploitation of the animals.