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Although they are in the Order of Carnivores, binturongs are omnivorous
and will eat fruit, small mammals, birds, eggs and leaves. They
are particularly fond of figs and are notorious banana thieves!
Our binturongs get a diet of meat, fruit, eggs and omnivore biscuits
soaked in fruit juice. Just like their wild counterparts, our animals
enjoy figs and bananas. Our female, China, has also been known to steal
an apple piece or two from the tapirs’ morning
meals. A 50-pound binturong shouldn’t be a match for an 800-pound
tapir, but binturongs are capable of putting on a very convincing
display of aggression!
Binturongs are thought to be territorial
and will display by growling, then stomping and screaming at
a perceived threat. Binturongs also communicate with loud screeching
howls and chuckling noises. Most communication between binturongs,
however, is not vocal. Like other Viverrids, binturongs communicate
by scent. A special gland under the tail produces musk oil, which
is left on branches to let other binturongs know it has been
there. The odor resembles buttered popcorn. The scent of the
tapirs and the nearby flamingos usually overpowers the odor of the binturongs
on exhibit.
Scent and vocalizations also play a role in reproduction. The male is
attracted by the female’s odor and if she is receptive she responds
to his sniffs with loud purring and then lays down for mating. After a
gestation of about three months, the female gives birth to an average
of two cubs. Both parents are involved in rearing young, which will remain
with the adults for one year. The Zoo’s two binturongs are not a
breeding pair.
Binturongs are not considered threatened in most of their range but in
some parts the population is vulnerable to habitat loss and poaching.
Binturongs are also sold in the pet trade in parts of Southeast Asia.
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