Those who have been to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries know that certain animal species tend to smell bad.
However, there are claims that some animals like the binturong have a pleasant odour.
It is said that this shaggy, black-furred mammal with a cat-like face smells like popcorn. Is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Binturongs, or bearcats, smell like popcorn due to a substance in their urine, which they use to mark territory and attract mates through scent trails.
As for why that is, Brooke Fortune of Zoo Atlanta said in an article on its official website that binturongs urinate in a squatting position, soaking their feet and tails, which they drag behind them to leave a scent trail.
Fortune added that researchers at Duke University, Hendrix College, the CDC, and the Cincinnati Zoo identified 29 chemicals in binturong urine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
"The one chemical consistent in each sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP, the same chemical that forms in popcorn during the popping process when heat kickstarts reactions between sugars and amino acids in the corn kernels," she added.
Fortune said this initially baffled scientists as 2-AP is usually found only at temperatures too hot for animals to generate with their bodies.
"The most likely explanation for its presence in the lower body temperature of the binturong is a chemical reaction between binturong urine and bacteria and other microorganisms present on the animal’s skin and in the gut," she added.
As for where the binturong can be found, they are native to Southeast Asia, inhabiting dense tropical forests and living mostly in tree canopies. They are also native wildlife in the jungles of Malaysia.
Binturongs are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and Critically Endangered in parts of China due to habitat loss, deforestation, hunting, and illegal wildlife trade.
The species plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity by dispersing seeds through their droppings, aiding forest regeneration.
Their presence supports soil fertility, pest control, and food chain stability, while also serving as an indicator of forest health.
SOURCES:
https://zooatlanta.org/why-do-
https://www.thainationalparks.
https://www.britannica.com/
https://housely.com/10-
