Two zookeepers were taken to a hospital after they were bitten by a binturong, also known as a bear cat, at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in D.C. on Friday morning, authorities say. The mammals are about the size of a small dog and are neither bears nor cats.
A 12-year-old binturong named Lola bit a staff member in a non-public area of the Great Cats exhibit, the zoo said in a statement.
“The staff member was conducting a routine training session with Lola and was obtaining her weight when the binturong bit the staff member and did not readily let go,” the zoo said.
A colleague rushed to help and also got bitten by the binturong.
The staffers were taken to a hospital out of an abundance of caution, the zoo said.
The zoo describes binturongs as catlike mammals with sharp teeth and claws. They’re found in tropical forests in countries including India, Thailand and the Philippines. They’re often described as smelling like buttered popcorn because of a compound in their urine, the zoo said.
The nocturnal animals are “noisy creatures,” the zoo said. “They can snort, chuckle or even purr when they are pleased or content. They signal displeasure, fear or aggression with cat-like screams, hisses, low grunts and howls.”
So, why are they called bear cats? The zoo said in a statement: “They received the nickname the ‘bear cat’ because their stocky body—which is covered in a bouffant of black hair— resembles a bear’s robust frame, while their large brown eyes and wily whiskers give them a whimsical, cat-like appearance. They are neither bears nor cats, but are instead members of the Viverridae family.”
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