On Oct. 18, 2019, officials received some rather curious reports of an unidentified animal in Klang, Malaysia.

Reports of a bear in the village

According to a Facebook post by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force of Hulu Selangor district, residents of the village had called in with reports of a "bear" in the vicinity.

Officials were then sent down to the site to investigate.

Photos taken at the site show the dark, furry creature outside what appears to be a resident's house, clambering atop the racks and furniture.

It almost resembles some sort of hybrid of a bear and a cat, with its long tail and face resembling that of a bear.

Baited with bananas

Officials then used bananas to coax the creature into a cage, and it was successfully caught after 30 minutes.

It will reportedly be turned over to Malaysia's department of wildlife (Perhilitan) for further action.

What is a binturong?

The peculiar animal was actually a binturong, also known as a bearcat.

Binturongs are closely related to civets, of which one species, the Common palm civet, is native to Singapore.

Binturongs can be found in numerous countries throughout Southeast Asia, and is native to Malaysia. They are unfortunately, not found in Singapore.

Selangor's Malaysian Civil Defence Force stated this was the first time they had responded to a sighting of a binturong.

The species is arboreal (tree-dwelling) and spends most of its time in the canopy, using its prehensile tail to hunt for fruits, insects and occasionally small birds or rodents.

These nocturnal creatures are most comfortable in the treetops, and amble around awkwardly when on the ground.

Interestingly, the perfumed secretions binturongs use to mark their territory have a smell similar to buttered popcorn, according to Mongabay.

Little is known about binturongs in the wild, and they are classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

They currently face threats from habitat loss from logging, as well as hunting. They are also captured to be sold for their meat, and as pets in the illegal wildlife trade.

Top photo from APM Daerah Hulu Selangor / FB

 

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