Have you ever seen this animal?
Recently during my voluntary trip to Zoo Melaka, I was assigned to make a report about clinic facilities in Zoo Melaka, and I came across this animal in a quaranine area. Frankly, I never met this animal before. She was asleep when I came to her cage, and without knowing its behavior, I touched her fur. She jumped from sleep and stared at me and come out with this high-pitched hissing voice. I was so surprise that my knees were shaking. So moral of the story, if you don't know the animal, dont put your finger on it.
Later I made some research about her.
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BINTURONG
The Binturong (Arctictis binturong) which the Malay name for Bearcat is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes civets and ganets. It is the only member of the genus. The binturong is not a bear. They can be found in the dense forest regions of India and Indochina and down through Indonesia, Thailnad, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Burma and Palawan.
Physical characteristics
- Measure 2-3 feet in length (half of the length is tail)
- Covered in black, coarse hair with a speckled gray hair and long white whiskers
- Short legs, bear-like walk
- Weight up to 30 pound
Behavior
- Climb trees and leaps from branch to branch
- Use tail and claws to cling while searching for food
- Can rotate its hind legs backwards so that its claws still have a grip when climbing down a tree head first
- Nocturnal (active in night)
- Use tail for communication
- Hissing voice
Diet
- Omnivor. But can be carnivore sometimes
Reproduction
- Estrus cycle: 81 days
- Gestation: 91 days
- Sexual maturation: female-30.4 months male-27.7 months
- Fertility: 15 years of age
- Lifespan: up to 20 years
Sources: Wikipedia-Binturong, Honolulu zoo, http://itech.pjc.edu/sctag/binturong/Binturong.htm
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