Nashville Zoo is pleased to announce Lucy, one of our behind-the-scenes Palawan binturongs, gave birth to two kits, one male and one female, late on Monday, May 13.
“The kits are doing fantastic,” said Dr. Heather Robertson, Nashville Zoo Director of Veterinary Services. “However, Lucy was not able to produce milk for her babies, so we will be hand-raising the kits in one of our Veterinary Center Neonatal Care rooms, which includes a public viewing window."
The kits weigh between 299-312 grams each. With the addition of these cubs, the Zoo is now home to eight binturongs. Nashville Zoo has welcomed 10 kits since 2015. There are currently 14 binturongs in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) care and 11 in facilities globally.
Four-year-old Lucy and four-year-old Gru, the father, are currently behind the scenes and these kits will stay at Nashville Zoo for now with plans to eventually include them in ambassador animal programs at other zoos.
Nashville Zoo is the only zoo to have breeding pair Palawan binturongs in its animal collection. In 2015, the Zoo welcomed the first two Palawan binturongs born in the United States. While five adult binturongs are not on exhibit, one of them, Wilbur, was hand raised by the Nashville Zoo Behavioral Husbandry team and can be seen along the Zoo's trails as part of the Zoo’s Ambassador Animal Program.
The Palawan binturong (Arctictis binturong whitei) is a smaller subspecies of binturong (also known as bearcat) only reaching around 40 pounds. While they aren’t considered endangered, they are classified as vulnerable due to destruction of habitat and pet trade.
Nashville Zoo is contributing to the protection of this species by being a part of the Palawan Binturong Species Survival Plan® and providing species information to the Binturong Studbook.
About Nashville Zoo
Nashville Zoo is a nonprofit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is actively engaged in conservation research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the globe as well as in our own backyard. The Zoo attracts more than 1,000,000 visitors annually and is considered one of the top attractions in Nashville. Nashville Zoo is located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information about Nashville Zoo, visit nashvillezoo.org.
Media Contact: Becky Hardy | Communications Specialist | bhardy@nashvillezoo.org | 615-833-1534 x132