The Tallahassee Museum has officially welcomed its latest guest animals to its dedicated wildlife exhibit. Their formal name is “Binturongs,” although Museum Animal Curator Suzie Buzzo said they are often referred to as something else.
“Binturongs are from Southeast Asia and we have a male and a female,” Buzzo explained. “They’re known as ‘bearcats’ because of the way they look. But they’re neither bear nor cat. They’re actually from the family ‘viverrid’ but they have a long tail that looks like a cat and they kind of saunter around like a bear. They actually have a prehensile tail. They’re the largest mammal that has a prehensile tail.”’
She added there’s another characteristic that sets these unique critters apart.
“There’s actually a chemical compound in their urine and they use it for scent marking and it’s the same chemical compound that’s in freshly buttered popcorn, so that’s what they say they smell like.”
The Binturongs, a male and a female, will be enjoying the museum’s hospitality through the end of spring.
