# Binturong — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1821)*

> The binturong (Arctictis binturong) is a Vulnerable tree-dwelling viverrid of South-east Asian rainforest, the only Old World mammal with a fully prehensile tail; it is threatened by deforestation and the illegal pet trade.

**IUCN status:** Vulnerable  ·  **WARN range:** South-east Asia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, China

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 9–20 kg |
| Tail | Fully prehensile — unique among Old World mammals |
| Scent | Popcorn-like — from caudal gland secretion |
| Diet | Mainly frugivorous — figs and other fruit |
| Activity | Mainly nocturnal and arboreal |
| CITES | Appendix III (India) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Viverridae
- **Genus:** Arctictis
- **Species:** Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1821)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Vulnerable (IUCN, 2016). Estimated 30% decline over three generations.
- **Population:** No precise global count; declining across most of range
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Appendix III (India)

## Key facts: Binturong
- Binturongs smell of buttered popcorn — a scent from a glandular secretion.
- They are the only Old World mammal with a fully prehensile tail.
- Despite the nickname 'bearcat', binturongs are viverrids related to civets.
- Deforestation for palm oil, logging and agriculture is the primary threat.
- Binturongs are slow breeders — one to two young per litter.
- The pet trade removes individuals from the wild with high mortality in transit.

## A tree-dwelling viverrid
The binturong belongs to the family Viverridae alongside civets, genets and linsangs. It is the largest living viverrid, with a stocky body, coarse black fur often tipped with grey, stiff white whiskers and small rounded ears. The muscular prehensile tail — as long as the body — grips branches and acts as a fifth limb.

Binturongs are mainly nocturnal and arboreal, though they descend to the ground more than many rainforest mammals. Six subspecies are recognised across South-east Asia, from India and Nepal through Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to southern China.

## Diet and ecological role
Binturongs are omnivorous frugivores, eating figs and other fruit as a staple and supplementing with small vertebrates, insects, eggs and carrion. They are important seed dispersers — fig seeds pass through the gut and germinate in new locations, linking binturong survival to the health of fig tree communities.

In captivity, binturongs live over 25 years; wild lifespans are shorter. They communicate through scent marking, vocalisations including chuckles and howls, and the distinctive popcorn-scented secretion from a gland beneath the tail.

## Threats and the pet trade
Habitat loss is the primary driver of decline. South-east Asia has lost vast areas of lowland rainforest to oil palm, rubber, logging and dam construction. Binturongs cannot survive in plantations or heavily logged forest. Hunting for bushmeat and traditional medicine persists, and the illegal pet trade removes individuals — often young — from the wild. Binturongs are poor pets: they need large arboreal enclosures, specialist diets and nocturnal routines. Most confiscated animals cannot be released and require lifetime sanctuary care.

## Conservation outlook
The IUCN lists the binturong as Vulnerable with an estimated 30% population decline over three generations. It occurs in numerous protected areas but enforcement against hunting and trapping is weak in many range countries. CITES Appendix III in India requires export permits. Protecting connected primary forest, enforcing anti-trafficking law and reducing demand for exotic pets are the most effective measures. WARN's orangutan and slow loris work in Indonesia and Malaysia overlaps binturong range, where shared habitat protection benefits all rainforest mammals.

## Related WARN guides
Binturongs are viverrids — read WARN's civet guide for close relatives, red panda page for other arboreal mammals, and orangutan and slow loris guides for shared South-east Asian rainforest.

WARN works in Indonesia and Malaysia — core binturong range.

Never buy binturongs as pets; deforestation is the primary threat.

## What WARN does
WARN funds rainforest habitat protection in Indonesia and Malaysia — range countries where binturongs share threatened forest with orangutans and slow lorises. This guide is free public education about a lesser-known species facing the same deforestation crisis.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Binturong
### Why do binturongs smell like popcorn?
A gland beneath the binturong's tail produces a compound called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline — the same chemical that gives popcorn and bread its distinctive aroma. The scent is used in scent marking.

### Is a binturong a bear or a cat?
Neither. Despite the nickname 'bearcat', binturongs are viverrids — related to civets and genets. The name reflects their stocky build and facial appearance.

### Are binturongs endangered?
Binturongs are Vulnerable with an estimated 30% population decline over three generations. Habitat loss and the pet trade are the main threats.

### Where do binturongs live?
Binturongs inhabit tropical and subtropical rainforest from India and Nepal through South-east Asia to Indonesia and the Philippines. They are arboreal and need intact forest canopy.

### Can you keep a binturong as a pet?
No. Binturongs need large arboreal enclosures, specialist diets and nocturnal care. The pet trade threatens wild populations. Private ownership is restricted in most countries.

### What do binturongs eat?
Binturongs are mainly frugivorous, eating figs and other fruit. They also take small vertebrates, insects, eggs and carrion. They are important seed dispersers for fig trees.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Arctictis binturong](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41690/45217018)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — binturong](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/binturong