Kinkajou rescued from rest area in Yakima and quarantined at Tacoma Zoo

A young kinkajou was rescued in Washington state after being found abandoned at a rest area in Yakima, a city about 150 miles from Seattle.

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers rescued the wild animal from a rest area in Yakima on Sunday after receiving a request for assistance, the department said in a statement. email to USA TODAY on Thursday.

Officers then transported the animal to the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, where veterinary staff assessed its condition. The zoo said it would temporarily hold the animal and provide medical assistance if necessary until a more permanent home could be found.

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Animal quarantined upon arrival at the zoo

The Point Defiance Zoo, in a social media post, said the rainforest mammal was immediately quarantined upon arrival at the zoo’s animal hospital and would “undergo a well-being examination.” -be complete with our veterinary team this week.”

The zoo said the animal’s rescue highlights “the dangers of the illegal pet trade.”

“Although kinkajous are not endangered, they are hunted for their fur, meat and the exotic pet trade, threatening their wild population,” the Point Defiance Zoo said in its post.

Point Defiance told USA TODAY on Thursday that the facility’s head veterinarian, Dr. Karen Wolf, believed the kinkajou was an adult, adding that it “was definitely not a juvenile and it didn’t appear no longer geriatric.”

The zoo said the kinkajou was “in fairly good health overall,” but was “very thin, weighing only 2.5 pounds.”

“He has a good appetite and we are feeding him a complete and healthy diet,” the zoo said, adding that they are awaiting the results of diagnostic tests to get a full assessment of his health.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Wildlife Confiscations Network was also contacted as part of the rescue process. The Point Defiance Zoo said the association is working with them to find a forever home for the animal.

What are kinkajous?

Kinkajous are a tropical rainforest mammal closely related to raccoons, olingos and coatis, according to Smithsonian Magazine. They are often confused with primates because of their prehensile tails, says the Point Defiance Zoo, but they are actually small, nocturnal carnivores. They are found in tropical rainforests from southern Mexico to Brazil.

“Despite their kindness, kinkajous do not make good pets,” the Point Defiance Zoo said.

It was not immediately clear how the animal arrived at the rest area. Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police, in their statement, stressed the dangers of releasing or abandoning exotic animals into the wild, explaining that not only can these animals pose a danger to humans and native wildlife in the area, but they are also not equipped to survive in the wild.

“Exotic animals in need of a new home should be taken to a licensed animal sanctuary as they are equipped to provide the animal with the space and care it needs in captivity,” the department said.

Saman Shafiq is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.