Rainforest animal called kinkajou rescued from dusty highway rest area in Washington state

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Why did the kinkajou cross the road? And what is a kinkajou, anyway?

One of the mammals, which looks like a cross between a monkey and a small bear, was found far from its usual rainforest habitat this week, at a highway rest area amid the rolling sagebrush plains of central Washington state, authorities said.

Kinkajous have prehensile tails, and this one was spotted Sunday climbing a large wooden pole along Interstate 82 southeast of Yakima, the state Department of Transportation said in an article on X.

“We don’t know if he was abandoned or escaped,” the post said. The animal was rescued by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Kinkajous are carnivores that live in tropical rainforests from southern Mexico to Brazil, according to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, where the little creature was taken to live temporarily.

With sandy yellow fur, round ears and large dark eyes, they are able to grasp objects and are often mistakenly called primates, the zoo said.

“Despite their cuteness, kinkajous do not make good pets,” the zoo said.

This particular kinkajou is being quarantined at the zoo’s hospital to ensure it is not carrying any diseases and will undergo a full wellness exam this week, officials said.

Kinkajous are not endangered, but are hunted for their fur, and the illegal exotic pet trade threatens their population, according to the zoo.

The Associated Press