Also known as bearcats (and affectionately called bintys), they are curious animals that belong to the civet family, are mostly nocturnal, and can live as long as 18 years! They spend most of their time in trees, climbing with the help of their large claws and fully prehensile tails. They are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and have become increasingly rare in Cambodia.

Also known as bearcats (and affectionately called bintys), they are curious animals that belong to the civet family, are mostly nocturnal, and can live as long as 18 years! They spend most of their time in trees, climbing with the help of their large claws and fully prehensile tails. They are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and have become increasingly rare in Cambodia.

Sponsor Pote Leen

Meet Pote Leen

Pote Leen is a beautiful animal called a binturong, which are also affectionately called bintys or bear cats and are found throughout the forests of Southeast Asia. The name Pote Leen comes from the Khmer word for popcorn as these unique creatures have a very distinctive smell that they mark their territory with, which as you may have guessed, smells like buttered popcorn!

Pote Leen has been at Phnom Tamao for many years, likely rescued from the illegal pet trade, and given his habituation to people he is unsuitable for release. He has however joined part of our breeding program for this species, successfully raising several litters with his mate, who went on to be released at our Wildlife Release Station. In the future we hope to release bintys into the forests of Angkor Wat as a part of our rewilding project there to return wildlife to the Angkor Archaeological site. 

They are usually elusive animals living deep in the rainforests, however, their habitat is becoming more and more accessible by rapid deforestation and land encroachment, making them more vulnerable to poachers. They are targeted for the fur, pet and bushmeat trades, not only in Cambodia, but in all countries where they are native. These pressures have contributed to their decreasing wild population trend. Using population estimates from limited data, the IUCN has listed them as Vulnerable.

If you sponsor Pote Leen today you’ll help to ensure that he continues to get the best care possible, plenty of his favourite, bananas and lots of enrichment to occupy his time. Beyond that, you’ll be helping us to ensure the conservation of this species for future generations to come.

Sponsor Pote Leen

Meet Pote Leen

Pote Leen is a beautiful animal called a binturong, which are also affectionately called bintys or bear cats and are found throughout the forests of Southeast Asia. The name Pote Leen comes from the Khmer word for popcorn as these unique creatures have a very distinctive smell that they mark their territory with, which as you may have guessed, smells like buttered popcorn!

Pote Leen has been at Phnom Tamao for many years, likely rescued from the illegal pet trade, and given his habituation to people he is unsuitable for release. He has however joined part of our breeding program for this species, successfully raising several litters with his mate, who went on to be released at our Wildlife Release Station. In the future we hope to release bintys into the forests of Angkor Wat as a part of our rewilding project there to return wildlife to the Angkor Archaeological site. 

They are usually elusive animals living deep in the rainforests, however, their habitat is becoming more and more accessible by rapid deforestation and land encroachment, making them more vulnerable to poachers. They are targeted for the fur, pet and bushmeat trades, not only in Cambodia, but in all countries where they are native. These pressures have contributed to their decreasing wild population trend. Using population estimates from limited data, the IUCN has listed them as Vulnerable.

If you sponsor Pote Leen today you’ll help to ensure that he continues to get the best care possible, plenty of his favourite, bananas and lots of enrichment to occupy his time. Beyond that, you’ll be helping us to ensure the conservation of this species for future generations to come.

Sponsor Pote Leen