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When Zoo visitors first see that “furry black thing” hanging
out in a tree in the tapir exhibit the question that usually
follows is “What is that animal?” It is of course
a binturong. But what is a binturong? Although commonly known
as a bear cat, it is neither a bear nor a cat. Binturongs are
the largest members of the Family Viverridae (civets and mongooses)
weighing up to 50 pounds and measuring six feet in length with
half of that being tail. Binturongs are native to dense high
forests of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Binturongs are excellent climbers and spend most of their time
in the trees, whether at rest basking in the sun or on the prowl
at night. They have well developed pads on the bottoms of their
feet, and curved claws which allow them to move swiftly from
branch to branch. Binturongs are one of only two carnivores with
a prehensile tail, which comes in handy for life in the trees.
When at rest in the trees, a binturong will keep a firm grip
with its tail. Binturongs are also known to hang from their tails
to reach food items.
The Zoo's binturongs share an exhibit with
our Malayan tapirs. Being arboreal (living in trees)
and nocturnal (active at night), they spend most of their time
sleeping away the day in the tree top nest with their prehensile
tails wrapped around a branch to prevent a fall. Sometimes you
might also see one of our more terrestrially inclined binturongs
sleeping on the ground near the tapirs.
Learn more about binturongs
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