Published April 11, 2023 | Animal Knowledge, Animals, Conservation, Endangered

The Reason They are Called Bearcat

The Binturong (Artictis binturong) is also known as a bearcat because the face is like a cat and the body like a bear. These bearcats generally sleep during the day high in the forest canopy and love to bask in the sun. The binturong’s tail is also used for climbing. Even when sleeping, its tail is anchored securely around a branch. Binturong is classified as a carnivore but its diet is mainly fruit.

The Binturong you can meet them at Bali Safari Park

Habitat

Binturong is native to Southeast Asia and can be found in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and surrounding areas.

Binturongs prefer to live in dense forests with high tree canopies, as they are primarily arboreal creatures. They can also be found in secondary growth forests, plantations, and other wooded areas. Binturongs are generally solitary animals, but they may occasionally form small groups of two or three individuals.

Characteristic

This mammal have medium size, weigh about 13 – 22 kg with 71 – 84 cm body length. The females in particular are slightly larger than the males, up to 20% larger in fact. Their ears are short, rounded, edged with white, and terminated by tufts of black hair. There are six short rounded incisors in each jaw, two canines, which are long and sharp, and six molars on each side. The feet are five-toed, with large strong claws.

The Binturong at Bali Safari Park
The Binturong at Bali Safari Park

The Binturong is known for its distinct musky odor, which is produced by scent glands located under its tail. This scent is used for communication with other Binturongs and is also thought to help them navigate their forest habitat. While breeding the Binturong gave birth 1-2 cubs, with 92 days gestation period. This mammal have life span about 10-25 years.

Diet

Despite being in the carnivore family, Binturongs actually prefer to eat fruits, plants, leaves and other vegetation it happens to find along its way on the tree tops. They have a mixture of diet that includes small invertebrates, fish, birds and other small mammals. They are also nocturnal animals that prefer to live solitary lives.

Bali Safari Park is taking steps to maintain its population through conservation. It’s time to learn about binturong and get involved in animal welfare with Bali Safari Park!