Safety Incident at Smithsonian's National Zoo

This morning around 10 a.m., two staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute sustained non-life threatening injuries following an interaction with a 12-year-old female binturong named Lola. The incident occurred at the Great Cats exhibit in an off-exhibit, non-public area. 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 staff member received assistance from an animal care colleague who was bitten when they removed Lola and placed her in a separate enclosure. Both staff were transported to a local hospital for treatment out of an abundance of caution. 

Binturongs are native to the tropical forests of Asia. They are about the size of a medium dog; their body is 2 to 3 feet long with a tail nearly the length of its body. 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. 

Photo caption: Binturong Lola in her habitat at the Claws & Paws Pathway at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Photo credit: Skip Brown/Smithsonian