Often mistaken for a strange bear-cat hybrid, the binturong is a secretive mammal native to Southeast Asia’s dense rainforests.
With its shaggy black fur, prehensile tail and unmistakable buttery scent, this arboreal creature is both peculiar and captivating.
What is a binturong?
The binturong (Arctictis binturong), sometimes known as the 'bearcat', is neither bear nor cat, despite its misleading name.
It belongs to the Viverridae family – the same family as civets and genets – and is the only species in its genus. These largely solitary animals are most active at night and are notable for their distinctive physical traits and unique scent.
What do binturongs look like?
Binturongs have a comical appearance that’s difficult to categorise. They have large, muscular bodies covered in coarse, shaggy black or dark grey fur, often with grizzled silver-tipped hairs.
Their rounded faces are framed by long white whiskers and expressive eyes, giving them a somewhat owlish or wise look. Their ears are short and rounded with prominent tufts.
Adult binturongs typically measure between 60 to 96cm in body length, with an impressive tail of similar length – sometimes just as long as their body. They usually weigh between 9 and 20kg, with females generally larger than males, which is rare among mammals.
Their most striking feature is their prehensile tail – the only one of its kind among Old World carnivores. This tail acts like a fifth limb, allowing binturongs to expertly navigate the canopy, grip branches and even hang upside down when feeding.
Where do binturongs live?
Binturongs are native to South and Southeast Asia, with a range extending across countries such as India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
They inhabit tropical and subtropical forests, especially dense primary and secondary forests with tall trees and abundant canopy cover. Binturongs are highly arboreal and spend most of their time in the trees, although they will occasionally come to the ground in search of food or to travel between trees.
Due to habitat loss, deforestation and hunting, their populations have declined across much of their native range, and they are now classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
What do binturongs eat?
Despite being part of the order Carnivora, binturongs are omnivorous and have a diet that is largely frugivorous – meaning they primarily eat fruit. Their favourite food is the fig, but they will also consume other fruits, small mammals, birds, eggs, insects and plant matter.
Binturongs play a crucial role as seed dispersers in the forest. When they eat fruits such as figs, they pass the seeds through their digestive tract and excrete them, helping to regenerate and maintain healthy forest ecosystems.
Do binturongs really smell like popcorn?
Yes – it’s not just a myth. One of the most unique features of the binturong is its distinctive scent, which many people describe as being remarkably similar to buttered popcorn. This odour comes from a chemical compound in their urine called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which is also produced during the Maillard reaction that gives popcorn, baked bread and toasted foods their appetising aroma.
Binturongs scent-mark their territory by dragging their tails and hindquarters across branches and foliage, spreading their unique aroma as a form of communication and territorial marking. Scientists believe this smell may signal reproductive status, warn off rivals or attract mates.
Are binturongs endangered?
Binturongs are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their numbers are decreasing due to several interrelated threats:
- Habitat loss from logging, agriculture and palm oil plantations.
- Illegal wildlife trade – they are sometimes sold as exotic pets or for traditional medicine.
- Hunting for meat and fur in parts of their range.
- Road deaths, as they occasionally descend to the forest floor.
Conservation efforts include habitat protection, enforcement of wildlife trade regulations and education campaigns. Some zoos and wildlife centres are involved in captive breeding programmes and outreach to raise awareness of this unusual species.
How do binturongs behave?
Binturongs are primarily nocturnal and solitary, although some studies suggest they may exhibit a level of social behaviour, especially in captivity or during mating season. They are known to be relatively slow-moving but agile in the trees, using their tails for balance and grip.
They communicate using a range of vocalisations, including chuckles, growls, hisses and wails. These sounds can indicate anything from contentment to aggression or distress.
Unlike many carnivores, binturongs do not hunt actively. Instead, they forage for fallen fruit or opportunistically eat small animals and insects.
How do binturongs reproduce?
Binturongs have a polygynous mating system, where one male may mate with multiple females. They are also among the few mammals capable of delayed implantation, meaning the fertilised egg can remain dormant in the female’s body before implantation and gestation begin. This allows for more favourable timing of births.
Females give birth to litters of one to six young, although two is most common. The gestation period lasts approximately 90 to 92 days, excluding any delay from implantation.
Newborns are blind and helpless at birth, and remain in the nest for the first few weeks of life. They are weaned at around 6–8 weeks and become fully independent by 2–3 months of age.
Binturongs can live up to 25 years in captivity, though their lifespan in the wild is likely shorter.
At a glance: Fun facts about binturongs
- Not a cat: Despite being called a 'bearcat', binturongs are not related to cats or bears. They are more closely related to civets and genets.
- Prehensile prowess: Their prehensile tails are strong enough to support their full body weight – a rare trait among Old World mammals.
- Popcorn perfume: That buttery popcorn scent? It’s used as a calling card in the jungle.
- Tree architects: They sometimes build resting platforms in trees from broken branches or leaves
Main image: Binturong. Credit: Getty
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