page_title: Binturong
section_title: Threats
hierarchical_section_title: Binturong / Threats
caption_attribution_description: A young bear cat kept as a pet by Orang Asli in Taman Negara (Malaysia)
context_page_description: The binturong, also known as bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon in much of its range, and has been assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of a declining population trend that is estimated at more than 30% since the mid 1980s.
  The binturong was first described by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1822.
  The genus Arctictis is monotypic and morphologically similar to the genera Paradoxurus and Paguma. The name Arctictis means 'bear-weasel', from Greek arkt- 'bear' + iktis 'weasel'.
  In Riau, Indonesia it was known as tenturun.
context_section_description: Major threats to the binturong are habitat loss and degradation of forests through logging and conversion of forests to non-forest land-uses throughout the binturong's range. Habitat loss has been severe in the lowlands of the Sundaic part of its range, and there is no evidence that the binturong uses the plantations that are largely replacing natural forest. In China, rampant deforestation and opportunistic logging practices have fragmented suitable habitat or eliminated sites altogether. In the Philippines, it is captured for the wildlife trade, and in the south of its range it is also taken for human consumption. In Laos, it is one of the most frequently displayed caged live carnivores and skins are traded frequently in at least Vientiane. In parts of Laos, it is considered a delicacy and also traded as a food item to Vietnam.
  The Orang Asli of Malaysia keep binturong as pets.
caption: Young binturong kept as a pet by Orang Asli at Taman Negara, Malaysia
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