Customers at a mobile phone shop in Indonesia got a scare yesterday (November 21) when a wild civet ran into the shop and leapt onto the counter.

Footage filmed in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra province shows local residents removing the animal from behind a cabinet.

One of the rescuers then holds the civet by the tail and takes it outside where he places it in a sack.

Shop owner Al Fatah, who filmed the clip, said the creature burst in just a customer was buying phone credit.

"A customer screamed when she saw a civet cross over her feet. The civet then climbed into the storefront after nearly biting one of the customers," Fatah said.

"Then the civet ran on the wall of the cellphone cover display and ended up hiding behind the aquarium cabinet," Fatah added.

The civet was later relocated in its natural environment away from homes.

Civets are mostly nocturnal mammals with a cat-like appearance.

They are native to Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests.

A wild civet disperses a crowd of customers who are transacting at a cellphone shop in Indonesia.

In footage filmed on Saturday night (21 November) in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra province, shows residents and the Bantodarano chairman of the neighborhood trying to catch a civet hiding behind an aquarium cabinet.

One man holds the civets tail visible in the cabinet sidelines, while another man prises the civets leg with a broom until the grip slides from the cabinet.

Finally, civet carried out of the shop and then put in a sack.

Al Fatah, the shop owner who filming the moment, said the incident occurred when a customer was busy shopping for phone credit at his shop.

"A customer screamed when he saw a civet cross over her feet. The civet then climbed into the storefront after nearly biting one of the customers. Then the civet ran on the wall of the cellphone cover display and ended up hiding behind the aquarium cabinet," Fatah added.

The capture of the civet reported to the Bukittinggi animal lovers. Animal lovers will keep civets if they are still young, but if they are adults, they will be released into their habitat.