FaunaHub

Binturong (Arctictis binturong)

MammalViverridaeArboreal

Binturong (Arctictis binturong), a shaggy black viverrid with a long prehensile tail.

Binturong (Arctictis binturong).

Image: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The binturong (Arctictis binturong), sometimes called the bearcat, is a large, shaggy mammal of Southeast Asian rainforests — and despite the nickname, it is neither a bear nor a cat. It belongs to the family Viverridae, alongside civets and genets. With coarse black fur, tufted ears, and a long, muscular prehensile tail, the binturong is well suited to a life spent up in the trees.

One of its most famous features is its scent: binturongs give off a smell widely compared to warm popcorn, produced by a compound in their scent marking.

Conservation note: the binturong is assessed as Vulnerable, threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Verify current status at iucnredlist.org.

Habitat & Range

Binturongs live in the forests of South and Southeast Asia — from parts of India and Bangladesh through Indochina to the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and the Philippines. They favour tall, dense tropical rainforest with a good canopy, where they spend much of their time among the branches.

Diet

Binturongs are omnivores with a strong preference for fruit, especially figs, along with leaves, shoots, eggs, small animals, insects, and carrion. As major fruit-eaters that travel through the canopy, they are valuable seed dispersers — notably, they are among the few animals able to help certain strangler fig seeds germinate, making them important to forest ecology.

Behavior

Binturongs are mainly arboreal and active by day and night, moving slowly and deliberately through the trees. The prehensile tail acts almost like a fifth limb, gripping branches for balance and support. They are among the few carnivorans with such a tail. Binturongs scent-mark their range with the popcorn-smelling secretion, and they can rotate their hind legs to climb down trunks head-first.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Binturongs are charismatic and popular in zoos, where their popcorn scent and gentle manner are well known. In the wild they are declining, mainly from deforestation and fragmentation of their rainforest home, plus hunting and the wildlife trade. Protecting intact forest is key to their future. Consult the IUCN Red List for current status.

More photos of the binturong

A binturong resting, showing its tufted ears and dense dark coat.

Binturong (Arctictis binturong).

Image: Marie Hale, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Binturong

Is a binturong a bear or a cat?
Neither, despite the nickname "bearcat." The binturong belongs to the family Viverridae, the same group as civets and genets. Its bear-like shaggy coat and somewhat cat-like face are just a coincidence of appearance, not a sign of close relationship to bears or cats.
Why does a binturong smell like popcorn?
Binturongs produce a scent widely described as smelling like warm popcorn. It comes from a compound (the same one that gives popcorn its aroma) present in their scent marking, which they use to communicate with other binturongs as they move through their territory.
What does a binturong use its tail for?
Its long, muscular tail is prehensile — it can grip branches like an extra limb. This helps the binturong balance and hold on while climbing and feeding high in the rainforest canopy. Such a fully prehensile tail is rare among carnivorans.
Are binturongs endangered?
They are assessed as Vulnerable. Binturong numbers are declining, mainly because of rainforest loss and fragmentation, along with hunting and the wildlife trade. Their dependence on healthy forest makes habitat protection central to their conservation. Current status should be checked against the IUCN Red List.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.