The kinship of every community in all of Ubulu kingdom and some parts of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom is centered on the totemic creature widely known as "Edi", the civet cat.

The civet cat is considered sacred and forbidden to be hunted for game or eaten as meat. Any man referred as "Edi" is someone who should be avoided by all means.

The meat of edi, the smallest member of the big cat family is forbidden by all sons and daughters of Ubulu Kingdom including all the dukedoms, irrespective of religious beliefs.

According to oral history, the cat assumed a totemic status when its meat was presented to Ezemu, the progenitor of Ubulu-Uku, by a guest during “Ishu-Anụ”, (meat presentation by guests to the king).
But due to the foul smell of the cat, no one could volunteer his machete to slaughter the odd looking, slime producing, and foul smelling cat.

Narrating the oral account, Late Mrs. Grace Ebiteh, who died as a nonagenarian a few years ago, said...“E’jiwe mma’m bọọ edi, ke Ubulu ji sọme edi.” (that all men declined the use of their machete to slaughter civet cat, that was how all natives of Ubulu-Uku started to forbid the consumption of edi).

This historical account was also corroborated by few elders from Ubulu-Unor, the cradle home of all Ubulu communities, founded by Obodo, Ezemu’s elder brother.

Consequently, Ezemu proclaimed by his ọfọ that none of his descendants will eat the meat. Consuming the meat of Civet Cat with prior knowledge will expose the eater to the curse known as “ọkọlọ-Utulu” (a deformity in the mouth that makes sputum to come out endlessly from the mouth).

A second historical account claims that after Ezemu avenged the death of his son, Ijedinka, at Ani-Ọzalla, a civet cat aided his escape by concealing his footprints. So, the great herbalist returned the favour by declaring the animal as totem.

If a hunter shoots a civet cat in self defense or out of fear, it is buried or given as meat to a non Ubulu native and cannot be prepared as meat in the home of a native of Ubulu kingdom. Edi is not to be cooked as meat in any Ubulu-Uku household.
In recent times, some hunters will sell off the meat at the Benin/Asaba Expressway and return home innocently but till date, regardless of religion, all sons and daughters of Ubulu kingdom regard the civet cat as totem.

There are other creatures limitedly considered as totem in some lineages of Ubulu, including "Kokowa" Guinea fowl, "Akilikọ-Agbonor, (a wild Bush mango tree), as it applies to all Ụmụ-Ikem of Ubulu Kingdom.
The lineages of Ụmụ Ikem whobmigrated from Nri are in charge of metal works and weaponry in the ancient kingdom.

Note: The african civet cat should not be confused with Agụ (Leopard) or Abụ, a close relative but a hermaphrodite or other stripped or dotted members of the big cat family.