Animal From the Rainforest Called a Kinkajou Was Saved From a Dirty Rest Stop on a Washington State Highway

YAKIMA, Wash. — The kinkajou crossed the street for what reason? Also, what is a kinkajou?

This week, one of the mammals—which looks like a cross between a monkey and a small bear—was found at a highway rest stop in the rolling sagebrush lands of central Washington state. It was a long way from its normal rainforest home.

The state Department of Transportation said in a post on X that this kinkajou was seen climbing on a tall wooden post along Interstate 82 southeast of Yakima on Sunday. Kinkajous have tails that can grab things.

The post said, “We don’t know if it was dropped off or got away.” The state’s Fish and Wildlife Department saved the cat.

According to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, this little animal was temporarily taken there to live. Kinkajous are carnivores that live in tropical jungles from southern Mexico to Brazil.

The zoo said they are often wrongly called primates because of their sandy yellow fur, round ears, and big dark eyes that can grab things.

The zoo said, “Kinkajous are cute but don’t make good pets.”

Officials say this kinkajou is being kept in the zoo’s hospital to ensure it doesn’t have any diseases. This week, it will also get a full wellness exam.

The zoo says that the illegal unusual pet trade and hunting for their fur are the only things that put Kinkajous in danger.

Source: AP