Binturong

Presentation

The binturong is an arboreal mammal native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Often nicknamed the «bearcat» due to its appearance combining feline and ursine features, it actually belongs to the family Viverridae, closely related to civets. It is distinguished by a long prehensile tail that serves as a fifth limb for moving through the canopy. Its coarse black fur and its distinctive popcorn-like smell, produced by glandular secretions, make it a singular species. Discreet and primarily nocturnal, it remains poorly known to the general public despite its wide range. Its populations are now in decline due to deforestation and poaching.

The binturong has a robust body covered in thick, coarse fur, typically black with grayish highlights. Its head is round, its ears are rounded and edged with white fur, and its dark eyes give it a distinctive expression. Its tail, as long as its body, is prehensile and unique among Asian carnivores. It has semi-retractile claws adapted for arboreal life.

Characteristics

Indicative values: they vary by subspecies, sex and region.

Habitat and distribution

The binturong inhabits primarily the wet tropical forests and dense secondary forests of Southeast Asia. It also occasionally frequents forest edges near cultivated areas. Its dependence on continuous forest cover makes it highly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.

Behaviour

Primarily solitary and nocturnal to crepuscular, the binturong moves slowly but deliberately through the trees using its prehensile tail. It communicates through varied vocalizations including grunts, whistles, and chuckles, as well as through scent marking with its characteristic fur odor. It spends most of its life in the canopy and rarely descends to the ground.

Reproduction

The female may give birth at any time of year, following a gestation period of approximately 90 days. She typically produces a litter of 1 to 3 young, which are blind at birth. The young are weaned around 3 months of age and reach sexual maturity at around 2 years.

Peculiarities

The binturong produces an odor resembling hot popcorn, released from perianalal glands, which it uses to mark its territory. Its prehensile tail makes it the only Asian carnivore with this adaptation, shared only with the kinkajou in the Americas.

Threats and conservation

Deforestation and conversion of forests to plantations, particularly palm oil plantations, significantly reduce its habitat. It is also hunted for its meat, its organs used in traditional medicine, and sometimes captured for the exotic pet trade. These combined pressures drive a continuous decline in wild populations.

References

Profile updated 01 September 2026 · Reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team.