Binturong welfare in zoos requires understanding their specialist arboreal and olfactory ecology. New enrichment approaches are improving outcomes for this rarely held species.
Welfare improvements for captive binturongs have advanced significantly through better understanding of their olfactory ecology. Scent enrichment — providing novel odours, prey scents, and varied food items — engages their sensory system far more effectively than novel objects alone. Nocturnal exhibit design allows public viewing without forcing daytime activity against their natural rhythm. Fruit variety replicates the dietary breadth of wild binturongs and prevents the dietary monotony that contributes to stereotypic behaviour. Zoos increasingly recognise that binturongs with rich olfactory environments, appropriate climbing complexity, and species-appropriate social conditions show dramatically better welfare than those in traditional barren exhibits.