The Smithsonian took some time off today from categorizing their robust stamp collection to announce that scientists have discovered a new animal that is being described as a house cat crossed with a teddy bear. Cool description, except a teddy bear isn’t actually a real animal, guys.
The animal’s real name is the olinguito, and it’s being touted as “the first mammalian carnivore species to be newly identified in the Americas in 35 years” says CNN, which sent out this breaking news alert without an image, making this whole thing appear far more exciting than it actually is:
It’s not like the olinguito has been skulking around for centuries and humans just haven’t seen it; it’s actually just been misidentified as part of the raccoon family. They are also native to Ecuador and Colombia and can jump through trees, so don’t expect to see one in your backyard anytime soon. Here is a more intense stare if you’re into that sort of thing:
New cute furry mammal species discovered [CNN]
Image via Mark Gurney/AP
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Still here. Still without airbrushing. Still with teeth.
