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News Bites
The latest noteworthy news from
around Brookfield Zoo and beyond
the gates is right at your fingertips.
Two New
ARRIVAL Chicago Cubs
They look like a mashup of some
of your favorite animals: a bear and
a cat with a hint of monkey. Their name is fun to
say. And they smell like popcorn! What’s not to
love about binturongs?
Even better, what’s not to love about
binturong cubs? On September 19, our female
Vivvy gave birth to yet-to-be-named twins. The
two are now part of a tradition at Brookfield
Zoo, but it’s a new one. Vivvy came to us from
Prague in 2013, while her mate Anton arrived
BINTURONG
6 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES
from Germany the year before. In September
2014, we were proud to welcome Lemuel, the
breeding pair’s first offspring and our first
binturong birth in decades. (Lemuel is now
paired for breeding at Boise Zoo in Idaho.) Jaye
and Jenna were born here in April 2015 and Cala
in February 2016.
Although they are known as “bearcats”
because of their appearance, binturongs belong
neither to the bear nor the cat family. They are
vivverids, a family that also includes civets and
genets. And it’s true about the popcorn scent.
Many people say the odor binturongs emit from
glands under their tail is reminiscent of buttered
popcorn or corn chips. Binturongs use this scent
to mark territory and attract mates.
Sadly, wild binturong populations are
threatened due to dramatic habitat destruction
in their native Asian rain forests. The
International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) lists them as vulnerable in the
wild. The Chicago Zoological Society is one
of only a few institutions working to increase
binturong numbers. We are proud that Carol
Sodaro, our associate curator of carnivores,
serves as the program leader of the Binturong
Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos
and Aquariums. She is also the studbook keeper
for binturongs, tracking the family history of all
binturongs managed in zoos that are accredited
by the Association. With these two roles, it is
her responsibility to keep the population of zoo
binturongs as robust and genetically diverse
as possible.
The cubs will certainly add genetic diversity
to the zoo population. They began making
their public debut incrementally—a little more
time on exhibit each day—at around six weeks
of age. By the time you read this article, they
should be ready for your visit in Clouded Leopard
Rain Forest.