For the first time in more than 25 years, the San Diego Zoo saw the birth of two binturongs, also known as bearcats.
Zoo officials made the announcement in a recent Instagram post that included a video of the little mammals known for their distinct scent of buttered popcorn.
The zoo said in its post that the new arrivals, also known as binlets, were born in late March to first-time parents Nettle and Garret.
“Good things come in two,” the post read. “These liddol ones are currently spending quality family time behind the scenes while mom keeps busy with round-the-clock cuddle puddles, grooming and care.”
Binturongs are known as bearcats because they have a face like a cat and a body like a bear. They owe their movie-theater aroma to their urine, which gets on their padded paws and tail, according to zoo officials.
They can grow to the size of a medium-size dog and have shaggy black hair, making them look like large dust mops. They have stiff white whiskers and a prehensile tail that’s as long as their body.
Zoo officials said binturongs live in dense tropical and subtropical rainforests of South and Southeast Asia. They spend a lot of their time in trees, eating fruit, vegetables, leaves and birds, among other things.
Binturongs are a vulnerable species; they face threats from habitat destruction, poaching for traditional Asian medicines, and the fur and pet trade.
Officials said their vulnerability is what makes the recent births at the zoo more special.
“It’s a tree-mendous win for the future of this vulnerable species and supports conservation efforts both here and in their native habitats,” the social media post read.
The post See the zoo babies that smell like popcorn. San Diego Zoo celebrates birth of two bearcats appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
