01-31-2016, 01:15 PM
Kin Kin Ka Jou...
I'm glad the Florida woman in this story didn't have a heart attack; I bet Carsman would have.
A 99-year-old woman was sleeping in her Miami home when she was reportedly awoken by something “caressing her face.” Opening her eyes, the woman was shocked to find this bizarre-looking animal sitting on her chest.
![[Image: banana28n-2-web.jpg]](http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2511871!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/banana28n-2-web.jpg)
The woman called her son-in-law who rushed over and found the animal in the basement. He managed to safely lure it into a cage.
The next morning, the animal was transported to the South Dade Avian and Exotic Animal Medical Center and was examined by a veterinarian. The creature, the vet confirmed, was a kinkajou.
A local resident saw the story in the news and claimed his exotic pet, Banana, who had been left in the care of relatives and escaped.
According to National Geographic, kinkajous are nocturnal tree-dwelling mammals typically found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Related to the raccoon, the animals have “incredible” prehensile tails that they use “much like another arm.” Kinkajous are also “able to turn their feet backwards to run easily in either direction along branches or up and down trunks.” Very cool creature.
While keeping wild animals like kinkajous as pets can be legal as long as you have a special permit, animal welfare experts generally don't recommend the practice. Kinkajous in particular may pose a health risk to their human owners as the animals have been known to scratch and bite. Adequately replicating a rainforest habitat for a kinkajou is also difficult, thus compromising the animal’s quality of life.
“Having any animal as a pet means being responsible for providing appropriate and humane care. Where wild animals are concerned, meeting this responsibility is usually impossible. People, animals and the environment suffer the consequences,” warns the Humane Society.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kink...1479552670
I'm glad the Florida woman in this story didn't have a heart attack; I bet Carsman would have.
A 99-year-old woman was sleeping in her Miami home when she was reportedly awoken by something “caressing her face.” Opening her eyes, the woman was shocked to find this bizarre-looking animal sitting on her chest.
The woman called her son-in-law who rushed over and found the animal in the basement. He managed to safely lure it into a cage.
The next morning, the animal was transported to the South Dade Avian and Exotic Animal Medical Center and was examined by a veterinarian. The creature, the vet confirmed, was a kinkajou.
A local resident saw the story in the news and claimed his exotic pet, Banana, who had been left in the care of relatives and escaped.
According to National Geographic, kinkajous are nocturnal tree-dwelling mammals typically found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Related to the raccoon, the animals have “incredible” prehensile tails that they use “much like another arm.” Kinkajous are also “able to turn their feet backwards to run easily in either direction along branches or up and down trunks.” Very cool creature.
While keeping wild animals like kinkajous as pets can be legal as long as you have a special permit, animal welfare experts generally don't recommend the practice. Kinkajous in particular may pose a health risk to their human owners as the animals have been known to scratch and bite. Adequately replicating a rainforest habitat for a kinkajou is also difficult, thus compromising the animal’s quality of life.
“Having any animal as a pet means being responsible for providing appropriate and humane care. Where wild animals are concerned, meeting this responsibility is usually impossible. People, animals and the environment suffer the consequences,” warns the Humane Society.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kink...1479552670