Meet Sandy, an adorable binturong who lives at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. At the time this video was filmed, Sandy was one year old and weighed 32 pounds. He's likely 40 pounds by now, the average weight of an adult binturong. National Geographic Kids describes these fascinating creatures:
A 40-pound mammal creeps along a tree branch in a steamy forest. The animal looks like a cross between a cat and a bear. And its appearance isn't even its strangest quality. What's even weirder is the creature's smell: It gives off the scent of buttered popcorn! This is the binturong, an animal that's full of surprises . . .
Binturongs live in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. They belong to a family of carnivorous mammals that also includes civets. The animals spend most of their time hanging out in the treetops. When they aren't lounging on branches, they're looking for yummy snacks such as insects, birds, and fruit.
The coolest thing, to me, about the binturong, is its prehensile tail. I'm fascinated by prehensile tails—it's amazing that some animals can use their tails like we use our hands, to hold and grasp onto things. According to National Geographic Kids, only two carnivores have prehensile tails—the binturong and the kinkajou.
Enjoy this video of the Sandy, who serves as an animal ambassador for the Brookfield Zoo. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to meet him and see his prehensile tail in person!
Previously: An elephant's prehensile penis is like a second trunk
