A stocky, cat-like carnivorous mammal of Southeast Asia (Arctictis binturong) with a prehensile tail and dark fur.
From Malay binturung, the native name for this animal. The term entered English directly from local Southeast Asian languages through colonial contact.
The binturong is called the 'bearcat' even though it's actually more closely related to civets—and it leaves a musky, popcorn-scented trail, making it one of nature's odder creatures, yet scientists named it based on the Malay word.
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