Binturongs (Arctictis binturong) — unusual carnivores that smell of popcorn due to a chemical in their urine — face habitat loss and capture for wildlife trade across Southeast Asian forests.
Binturongs captured for the wildlife trade or food are subjected to the acute welfare harms of capture stress, transport, and either slaughter or captivity in inappropriate conditions. As arboreal specialists, binturongs in ground-level cages cannot express normal locomotory or behavioral repertoire. Habitat loss from palm oil expansion eliminates the forest canopy binturongs depend on for movement, foraging, and scent-marking territory maintenance. The loss of binturongs from an ecosystem has cascading effects through the strangler fig seed dispersal relationship they uniquely maintain. Consumer choices around palm oil products contribute directly to the habitat pressure binturongs face — choosing deforestation-free certified products reduces this pressure.