The binturong or bearcat is a forest mesocarnivore ranging from Nepal to Indonesia and the Philippines. Several subspecies of binturongs are recognized but a revision is needed. The binturong from Palawan was described as a species and is now considered a subspecies, but its status has never been checked using molecular approaches. Owing to its restricted range and the pressure on its habitat, the Palawan binturong may be endangered. It is, therefore, of crucial importance to clarify its taxonomic status, particularly for the management of captive populations. We sequenced one nuclear and two mitochondrial markers for binturongs from locations across the species range and from zoos. Our results provide an assessment of the genetic polymorphism and structure within the binturong, resulting in two groups, corresponding to the Indochinese and the Sundaic regions. Within the latter were found the Palawan binturongs on one side, and an individual from Sulu archipelago (a locality not reported before) on the other side. The Palawan binturongs form a monophyletic group, genetically close to Bornean binturongs, which suggests that they may have dispersed from Borneo, and represents a lineage worth preserving, but which is not a separate species nor a separate subspecies.

AbstractAlthough remote camera-traps are used worldwide for ecological studies, the methods of use are often based on ground-level detection. This inherently limits the ability to detect arboreal species. This study aims to test arboreal camera trapping as an alternative method to improve the detection of the binturong (Arctictis binturong). We obtained a total of 41 independent detections of binturongs for 2,973 trap-nights, representing a detection rate of 1.38%. Thus, although statistical comparison with other surveys is not possible, this is currently the highest detection rate for the species. This is encouraging to further develop this method for research on binturongs.

The Binturong Arctictis binturong is an elusive and poorly known carnivore of the family Viverridae, found in South East Asian ecosystems, which is affected by diverse human‐related threat processes. This paper reports on the collaborative efforts towards the conservation of the species by the Binturong European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), ABConservation (a French non‐governmental organization), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the global zoo community and researchers at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (France). The multidisciplinary initiatives allow the development of an integrated conservation programme for Binturong in Palawan (Philippines), including community awareness, education programmes, research projects and empowerment of range communities in nature conservancy. (Photo: ABConservation)