In the forest of Buxa, West Bengal, a rare species of a nocturnal mammal, Binturong, has been spotted. The animal has a face of cat, body of a bear and a bushy tail. The sighting has been reported by the officials of Buxa.
Found primarily in the rainforest treetops of South and Southeast Asia, Bearcats have a mixed diet of fruits, leaves, birds, fish and eggs. Extremely rare among carnivores, this speices has a fully prehensile tail. The meaning of their other name, Binturong, is unknown as the native language it was derived from is now extinct.
“This animal’s sighting in the Bhutan foothills is rare. And its sighting here is of great importance because it shows the rich biodiversity of Buxa,” said the field officer Ujjwal Ghosh to The Times of India.
Foresters claim that at the first glimpse, villagers mistook it for a bear. They informed that they saw a bear with a tail. It was clear that they had never seen this animal before.
The villagers of Paschim Khalisamari informed the forest department instead of taking any action from their side. Foresters of the Raidak range rushed to the area and trapped the animal which was released in Moynabari a few hours later.
The population of this critically endangered species has shrunk by 30% in three decades.