Rare creature — one that smells like buttery popcorn — seen on India trail camera
.jpg "Binturongs, which play an important role in facilitating forest growth, are threatened by habitat loss, regional use in traditional medicine, and the pet trade, experts said.")
A trail camera in India’s Balpakram National Park “captured a rare sighting” of a uniquely musky mammal that likes to spend most of its time in the trees.
There, on the forest floor, was a binturong — a creature reported to smell like buttered popcorn, according to wildlife experts. Their familiar scent comes from a chemical compound in their urine.
Binturongs are the largest member of the civet family and can be found “from northeast India to Southeast Asia,” the Wildlife Trust of India said in an April 2 Facebook post while sharing images of the animal.
Officials said the species faces threats such as habitat loss, the pet trade, snaring and its “use in traditional medicine across its distribution range.”
It is considered a vulnerable species, according to the IUCN Red List.
Wildlife experts said the species plays a “vital role” in its habitat, specifically by helping to facilitate forest growth by dispersing seeds and ensuring the balance and survival of other species.
Binturongs are one of only two meat-eating species with a prehensile tail, which helps them move about more easily in the trees.
The species consumes fish, birds, carrion and leaves, experts said.
The camera trap was set up by the Garo Green Spine Conservation Project team. which aims to “connect the fragmented forest patches” from the West Garo Hills to Nokrek National Park, and eventually create an “unbroken wilderness link” with Balpakram National Park, according to its website.
The areas are in northeast India near the country’s border with Bangladesh.
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Rare creature — one that smells like buttery popcorn — seen on India trail camera."
