The binturong – or 'bearcat' – is a fierce, canopy-dwelling omnivore,
with a prehensile tail, a sweet tooth for figs, and a smell like
buttered popcorn; it is also threatened . . .
The binturong inhabits a range stretching from northeast India and
Bangladesh to the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and the Philippines. It is
found more rarely in Nepal, South China, Java, Vietnam, Laos and
Thailand.
This tree-dwelling species occupies its own unique genus
(Arctictis): it possesses a prehensile tail like a monkey,
purrs and cleans itself like a cat, and has a territory-marking
scent that smells exactly like buttered popcorn.
Not much is known about how binturongs make baby binturongs – known
as 'binlets' – but scientists believe most courtship takes place in
the trees. Because the animals are thought to be territorial, scent
markings may play a large role in helping binturongs find members of
the opposite sex.
The binturong is threatened by habitat loss due to logging and
agribusiness, especially the oil palm industry. It is also hunted
for bushmeat, traditional medicine and the pet trade. A local
coffee, made from beans that pass through a binturong’s digestive
system, is also valued.
Binturongs have been little studied and their numbers in the wild
are unknown. It is known that they eat prodigious amounts of
strangler fig fruit, and that they are important seed spreaders.
More study is urgently needed to determine how the species can be
conserved.
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The binterong's habitat is vanishing fast and, while many wildlife
conservationists recognise the need to protect this threatened creature,
it is difficult to find financial support to help keep this species from
harm. The 'bearcat', like many other often under-documented small
mammals and reptiles, are becoming the unsung victims of rapid
deforestation.