The Binturong or bear cat is neither a bear nor a cat but is a species of civet. It is a large, rare mammal that lives in trees in the dense forests of South-East Asia, although deforestation has greatly reduced their numbers

They have thick, dark fur, a long, muscular tail, and long, stiff, white whiskers. They use their prehensile tail almost like another hand; young binturongs can even hang by their tail. They can rotate their hind legs backwards so that their claws still have grip when climbing down a tree head first.

Binturongs grow to be up to about 5 feet (1.5 m) long. Like other civets, they use scent marks to communicate with other Binturongs. A Binturong can also make chuckling sounds when it seems to be happy and utter a high-pitched wail if annoyed.

In the wild Binturongs eat fruit, eggs, leaves and small animals that they find using their sense of smell. They generally hunt for food at night and are nocturnal.

The Binturong is one of approximately 100 species of mammal believed by many husbandry experts to be capable of embryonic diapause, or delayed implantation, which allows the female of the species to time giving birth to coincide with favorable environmental conditions. The gestation period is around 91 days and they can produce up to 6 offspring, although it is usually 2. In captivity, Binturongs can live up to 30 years.