Rainforest animal known as a kinkajou rescued from highway rest stop

YAKIMA, Wash. — A kinkajou was found in southeast of Yakima, Washington earlier this week, according to officials.

“What’s that you say? It’s a nocturnal rainforest animal. Why was it at our east Selah Creek Rest Area over the (weekend)? We have no idea,” the Washington State Department of Transportation said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We don’t know if it was dropped off or escaped.”

Kinkajous live in tropical rainforests in southern Mexico and Brazil, according to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, per the AP. They have yellow fur, round ears and big dark eyes. They are not endangered but they are hunted for their fur.

“Despite their cuteness, kinkajous do not make good pets,” the zoo said, according to The Associated Press.

The kinkajou was taken to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma and will be living there temporarily, the AP reported. It is being quarantined there for a bit to make sure it’s not sick and then will have a wellness exam.

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