Creature Feature #55: Binturong

The Binturong is sometimes known as the "bearcat" for he has features not disimilar to both a bear and a cat, with a bit of mop thrown in for good measure. He is, in fact, a member of the Viverrid Family and makes his home in tall forests, with a distribution partly across Indochina and SouthEast Asia. He is a large Viverrid and the female is up to 20% larger than the male. His sturdy tail is prehensile and used as he clambers about the trees to help him keep his balance. He does not hang from his tail as a monkey does, however. He enjoys an omnivorous diet - fruits and other vegetable matter featuring highly on the menu, along with small mammals, birds and the occasional earthworm or fish, should he stumble upon them. He is not predatory by nature. His scent is not unlike slightly rancid popcorn and whilst sometimes kept as a pet, can prove to be unpredictable and ill tempered.