Binturong – The Forces of Opportunism
Keywords:
Rainforest wisdom and magic, being able to communicate with all manner of forest and tree wights, water play and water therapy, being adaptable and understanding the forces of opportunism, flexibility, using your body to its best capacity, letting others know how you feel, using protective mechanisms to make sure you’re always safe, perceptions of safety, negotiating tricky situations.
General Description:
The binturong is a nocturnal, arboreal mammal found throughout tree canopies in rainforests in most of South Asia. They are related to civets and genets. They have short legs and a walk like a bear, and have been called ‘bearcats,’ even though they are neither. They use a scent gland on their tail for communication (a scent which is often described as warm popcorn), and are able to rotate their hind legs so that their claws have adequate grip when climbing down trees.
They are omnivores, eating fruit as well as carrion, birds, mammals and fish. Its vocalisations include a chuckle when happy, and a wail when disturbed. Habitat destruction is their greatest threat, they have also been domesticated as pets, and in some regions, consumed as a delicacy.