Binturong,” a super high-end “healing” pet that costs 2.5 million yen per pet, is also known as a “bear cat.

Adorable as a cat with a bear-like face

A fluffy animal with round eyes and an adorable face. …… At first glance, it looks like a long-haired otter, but its name is “Binturong.

Now, videos of this binturong riding on women’s shoulders or being held by them are being seen on YouTube, TikTok, and other social media, creating a buzz among young women who are saying, “It’s so soothing!

Binturongs are members of the muskoxen family, a group of animals that falls between dogs and cats, and are known as hakubishin in Japan. Their habitat is throughout Asia outside of Japan, where they are also known as “bear cats. In other words, the name comes from their “bear-like face and cat-like charm.” They range in length from 1 to 2 meters, with the larger ones not much larger than large dogs.

Although they are kept in zoos in Japan and many people must have seen them in person, they have rarely been talked about. This may be because bintongs in zoos do not have a very “cute” image and can only be seen from outside their cages. In the video, however, visitors to pet stores and pet cafes interact and play with the binturongs directly. In other words, it is possible to buy a binturong as a pet.

Friday Digital visited Paraiso, a pet store and café bar (Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture), where visitors can enjoy drinks and food surrounded by exotic animals in order to have direct contact with binturongs. The shop keeps pets in pairs and even breeds them.

The binturong we saw there was much larger than we had imagined. Weighing about 20 kg, he was about the size of a fat medium-sized dog. We interviewed manager Yuta Komori.

He said, “In addition to their adorable appearance, they are rare wild animals that are friendly to humans and can be interacted with. The one we have was born in Indonesia, but it is not easy to meet them even if you go there. They live deep in the forest and usually live in the trees. So, they were only known to a few rare animal lovers.

Bintulong, who is called “Bin-chan” in the store, is pregnant and is about to give birth, so she is very nervous. She is currently pregnant, close to giving birth, and is very nervous. Nevertheless, as soon as I approached the cage, she immediately brought her face close to mine. The contours of his face, his round eyes, and his firm black nose certainly made him look like a bear, but his adorable gestures made us want to hug him.

When the manager opens the door to the cage, he immediately shows his face and extends his hand in a pampering gesture. When I hold out my hand in front of him, he rubs his face against me without a hint of alarm. There was no sign of reluctance when I patted his head or body.

The way they playfully climbed on the manager’s back was like a long-haired cat, which explains why they are also known as “bearcats. If you are an animal lover, you will want to spend all day with him. Bing-chan did not make a sound during our visit. According to the store owner, when they are babies, they sometimes call out, but when they become adults, they rarely make noises. So what about body odor? Bintongs, like other animals, have odor glands, and from their appearance, they seem to give off a bad odor. …… When I put my nose close to the bintong, I could smell something like popcorn, albeit faint. I felt that even people who don’t like animal smells could easily have skin-to-skin contact with her.

Prices range from 2.5 to 4 million yen

Manager Komori explains the reason for the current popularity of the binturong.

Binturongs are found in two main habitats: island countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and continents such as China and Vietnam. The majority of those found in zoos in Japan are bear-like, with blackish fur and a slightly stern continental look on their faces. On the other hand, the Indonesian specimens used as pets are smaller than their continental counterparts. Their adorable eyes can be clearly seen at a quick glance, giving the impression that they are cute. They are also rather docile.

Unlike red pandas, which can only be seen in zoos, binturongs can be seen up close at pet stores that sell them. Recently, they have also been appearing in pet cafes, and being able to touch them directly is also a big deal, he says.

According to an importer of binturongs, most of the places that accept them are zoos,

However, there are also people who have purchased binturongs from us. We feed them special food used in zoos, monkey food and fruits. For bananas, it is about 5-6 bananas a day. As for daily care, you don’t have to walk them. Since they are wild animals, we do not recommend walking them outside because you never know what kind of trouble they may get into. Exercise inside the house is sufficient. We sometimes clip their nails, but there is no need to shampoo them. He has learned to go to the bathroom, and he does so in his designated spot. Even if we let him play outside of his cage, he will return to his cage by himself to do his business, so there is no need to worry.

Living with such an adorable animal must be a lot of fun, but “it is not an animal that can be easily afforded,” according to manager Komori.

First of all, the price is extremely expensive, ranging from 2.5 to 4 million yen. They require a large cage and a large place to keep them. Veterinarians who are familiar with binturongs are also limited, so it is necessary to secure a veterinary clinic where they can be treated in case of illness, and the breeding environment must be well prepared. Unlike dogs and cats, the hurdles are quite high.

We don’t want people to have the impression that it is easy to keep a pet. We are running a store for people who say, ‘I really want to keep a pet,’ ‘I really want to live with a pet,’ and ‘I want to learn about its ecology. Therefore, we don’t want people to keep animals just because it’s the latest fad or because they are excited about it. We get a lot of inquiries, but in many cases we have to turn them down.

The first thing to remember about Binturongs is that they are pets that should not be touched unless you are financially strong and prepared to take the plunge. If you want to experience the charm of a Binturong, it is probably safer to visit a pet store or pet café.