Pass me the Popcorn Says the Binturong

Contrary to the skunk, this furry mammal lets off a buttery popcorn aroma to mark its territory. The binturong is full of surprises and quite a creature to uncover

They look part cat part bear with some weasel thrown in. They belong to the family of mammals that comprise the civet – known for its musk fragrance and its ‘poop’ coffee. They are native to the regions of South Asia and rainforests of Southeast Asia and are under the Vulnerable category on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). And they carry an aroma wherever they travel that makes them unique by far, a buttery popcorn smell to mark their territory. These are the basics of the Binturong that you need to jot down to familiarise yourself should you ever encounter them in the wild or in sanctuaries like Assam’s Kaziranga or Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park.

You will find the binturong in countries like India and Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and The Philippines… in areas blessed with a tall forest cover. For they love their ‘greens’ and their solitude.