Binturong

Arctictis binturong

### Regions

Philippines, Bhutan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal

## Habitat

### Water Area

182 m² +18 m²/ea. add'l
0 m²

### Temperature

40 m² +16 m²/ea. add'l
13‒42 ℃

## Social

### Fem. Bachelor

2‒5 (up to 5 males, up to 5 females)
2‒5
2‒5

### Sterility

1.5 years
15 years

### Interbirth

3 months
12 months

## Taxonomy

### Order

Mammalia
Carnivora

### Genus

Viverridae
Arctictis

The **Binturong** (*Arctictis binturong*) is a large Asian viverrid featured in the Southeast Asia Animal Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population In The Wild:** Unknown

The binturong, also known as the bearcat, is a species of mammal that lives in the forests of south and southeast Asia. It has a long, stocky body with comparatively short broad legs. They have wiry black hair with a brown face and white-tipped rounded ears. Females are approximately 20% larger than the males. The binturong has a head-body length of 28.4in-36.4in and a tail length of 22.4in-36.4in. The males weigh between 19.8lb-44lb and the females weigh between 24.2lb-70.4lb.

The binturong is threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation through deforestation. Its population has declined by 30% since the 1980's. It is also hunted for meat in Laos and Vietnam and is often a victim of the wildlife trade in the Philippines. The binturong is a protected species in Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

### Social

The binturong is a solitary animal but is not territorial and individuals will tolerate each other in the same space. If two binturongs meet, they are likely to avoid each other unless it is a male and female and the female is in oestrus. They may also be found in groups of a female and her litter or a mated pair and their litter, larger same sex groups have been kept together successfully in captivity.

### Reproduction

The reproductive habits of binturongs in the wild are little known, but they are thought to be monogamous. When the female is oestrus, she will make calls and emit a scent that attracts males. In response, males in range will mark excessively with urine and track the female. During courtship, a male and female will become very affectionate with each other. They will lick each other, touch each other and sleep with their tails entwined. The male may be aggressive towards other approaching males. During copulation, the male and female will purr at each other.

Binturongs mate throughout the year, but females are more likely to give birth between January and March; they are able to delay egg implantation until conditions are favorable which explains why there are peaks in birthing at certain times of the year. Young are born in an underdeveloped state and spend their first days hidden in their mother's fur. They begin eating solid food at 6 weeks old and are fully weaned by 8 weeks old. Males may or may not assist in rearing young.

Kits or cubs (the young can be referred to as both) are independent and leave their parents and litter at 6-8 months old. Binturong males reach sexual maturity at 28 months old and females at 30 months old

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Forage Box Enrichment · Dog Ball · Tree Forager
Climbing Frame · Cardboard Box · Gift Box · Rubber Duck · Rubbing Pad · Small ball · Small Ice Ball · Small Ball Colourful · Herb Scent Marker · Rubbing Pad Bark

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* The genus of binturong is 'Arctictis' which means 'bear-weasel'.
* The binturong is an excellent climber but is slow moving so does not leap from branch to branch, instead preferring to move between trees on the ground.
* Binturongs are a very vocal species, making ‘purring’ and ‘chuckling’ noises when happy and ‘wailing’ when upset.
* The binturong is an important seed disperser for the strangler fig because unlike other animals, its digestive system can break through the tough seed shell.
* The binturong's scent glands secrete a substance that smells like popcorn.

### Other Trivia

* The binturong is the first animal in *Planet Zoo* to have its overall appearance be revised.
	+ The initial model was panned by a lot of players, which most likely prompted the remake.
* The Binturong was the first viverroid added into the game post-launch.

## References

1. ↑ "Hello all, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Binturong, as always we are reading and appreciate your feedback! The team will be taking another look at the Binturong, as we want you all to love this amazing animal as much as we do! We'll share more about this after the team have taken some time to review it further."