APPLE VALLEY, Minn. - The Minnesota Zoo is celebrating the birth of a binturong, the zoo's first in 35 years.
The zoo says the cub was born February 12 and is doing well. The cub, also known as a bearcat, is gaining weight and spending time inside a nestbox with mom, according to the zoo.
Binturongs are listed as a “vulnerable” species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The zoo says this is the ninth binturong to be born at complex in Apple Valley.
Binturongs have black tufts of fur, sharp curved claws, long bushy tails, and large white whiskers. They are members of the mongoose family and love fruit. According to the zoo, these tree dwellers are native to tropical forests in Asia.
Staff say the binturong cub cannot yet be seen by zoo visitors. The zoo does not yet know the gender and have yet to name the cub.
