Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates World Binturong Day with a new addition to the sweet smelling family.

The park is home to more than 1,500 animals from 250 different species.

One animal in particular sparks a great deal of curiosity from visitors due to its bizarre appearance and sweet-smelling aroma – the Binturong.

A relatively new species to the Park, Binturongs, also known as Bearcats, originate from the rainforests of south-east Asia.

They are related to small forest predators like Fossas, Civets and Genets.

However, most unusually they are also the only creature to emit a completely unique scent which smells like buttered popcorn.

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The Park’s adult Binturong pair, Dobby and Himala, have successfully bred for the second time. Keepers like to name Binturong cubs after fruits found in their native homeland of south-east Asia and the new male cub, born in the autumn last year, has been called Rambutan which is a tropical fruit produced by the Malaysian Tree. His sister, born in 2019, was named Coconut.

Oxford Mail:

On Saturday the wildlife park celebrated World Binturong Day– a worldwide event to raise awareness for this rare and endangered mammal.

Now the Park has reopened, Rambutan made his public debut in front of visitors in time for World Binturong Day.

Now in its seventh year, World Binturong Day highlights the plight these relatively unknown animals face in the wild.

Population numbers are becoming increasingly rare and have declined by 30 per cent in the last 18 years.

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