Whether Ripley's would venture to the San Diego Zoo remains to be seen, but you can bring back amazing tales of some of the most uncanny creatures on Earth when venturing to this world-famous destination. AKA, Binturong Take the bear cat, also known as, the binturong. The scent originates from a gland near the animal's tail, and is probably there to help binturongs distinguish between themselves. About six feet long, they are native to Southeast Asia's rain forests. The only other carnivore with a prehensile tail is the kinkajou, a member of the raccoon family native to Central and South America.
Binturongs eat more plant food than is usual for carnivores.
Their diet consists of both moving prey and fruit. They are capable of leaping five feet in the air to grab birds and can dive under water to catch fish. In the zoo, they dine on high protein dog chow, papayas and bananas. Nocturnal and solitary, female binturongs can be as much as 20 percent larger than males, which is unusual in mammals. Living Out on a Limb At home in trees, the agile binturong scurries along with ease, using its grasping tail as a brake during head-first descents.