The present invention is directed towards the use of the masked palm civet Paguma larvata ("civet") as an animal model system for SARS, and is based on the novel demonstration of the present invention that civets may be infected with exogenous coronavirus, and that such infection produces SARS-like symptoms in these infected animals. The present invention is directed to a civet model system for the study of the infection, replication, and clinical effects of exogenously introduced human SARS-CoV coronavirus strains, civet SARS-CoV-like coronavirus strains, or variants or derivatives thereof, and to the development of vaccines (or other methods of prevention) or treatment of infection or transmission to other civets or humans of these human SARS-CoV coronavirus strains, civet SARS-CoV-like coronavirus strains, or variants or derivatives thereof.