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A shaggy black binturong climbing along a tree branch with its long tail hanging down.
Photo: Tassilo Rau, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Binturong

Arctictis binturong

A shaggy, tree-climbing "bearcat" of Southeast Asia that smells like popcorn and grips branches with its tail.

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About the Binturong

Binturongs live high in the canopy of tropical forests in South and Southeast Asia, from India and Nepal to China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. They are mostly active at night and move slowly through the trees. A binturong's thick, muscular tail can grab branches like an extra hand. Binturongs mostly eat fruit, especially figs, but also eat insects, birds, fish and rodents.[1][2]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Arctictis binturong[1]
Size
Body 61 to 96 cm (2 to 3 feet) long, plus a 56 to 89 cm tail. Females are larger than males.[2]
Weight
9 to 20 kg (about 20 to 44 pounds).[2]
Lifespan
Up to 18 years in the wild. Over 25 years in captivity.[2]
Diet
Mostly fruit, such as strangler figs, plus insects, birds, fish and rodents.[2]
Habitat
The canopies of tall, dense tropical forests.[2]
Where it lives
South and Southeast Asia, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.[2]
Group life
Usually alone or in small family groups. Mostly active at night.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts about 91 days. Usually 2 babies, called bintlets.[1][2]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[3]

Fun facts

  • Binturongs smell like popcorn, thanks to the same chemical that gives popcorn its scent.[1]
  • A binturong is one of only two carnivores with a tail that can grab things.[2]
  • Baby binturongs are called bintlets.[1]
  • Binturongs help replant the rainforest by spreading the seeds of the fruit they eat.[1]

Vocabulary

prehensile
Able to grab or wrap around things, like a binturong's tail.
canopy
The top layer of a forest, made of treetops.
arboreal
Living mostly in trees.
seed dispersal
How seeds get carried to new places, like when an animal eats fruit and drops the seeds.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Binturong.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Arctictis binturong (binturong).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arctictis_binturong/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  3. [3] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Arctictis binturong (Binturong).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41690/45217088 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.