This rainforest mammal marks its territory with a scent that smells like popcorn
The binturong, a cat-sized relative of civets found in Southeast Asian rainforests, produces a urine-based scent for marking territory that contains 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the exact compound responsible for the smell of freshly made popcorn. Researchers found the compound in every one of 33 binturongs sampled and believe it's produced by bacteria acting on the animal's urine, not its diet. Zoo visitors often report smelling popcorn before they even see the animal.