Binturongs are large, arboreal civets of Southeast Asian forests whose distinctive musky odour and prehensile tail make them charismatic but poorly understood zoo residents. Their welfare depends on nocturnal access, arboreal complexity, and appropriate social management.
Binturongs in barren, small enclosures without climbing structures and privacy retreats show stress-related behaviours including restless pacing and hypervigilance. Their nocturnal activity pattern means visitor-facing daytime displays conflict with natural behaviour timing. Best-practice facilities provide nocturnal houses where visitors observe under red light, complex arboreal networks of varied-diameter branches, sleeping boxes at height, and dietary variety including live invertebrates for hunting stimulation. Social management requires careful monitoring — binturongs can be housed in pairs but compatibility must be individually assessed.