Tacoma waves goodbye to ‘honey bear’ found at Yakima rest stop. Learn where he’s headed
The Tacoma zoo has bid adieu to a kinkajou found at a Yakima rest stop in June.
The young abandoned animal was transported to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, 5400 N. Pearl St., where he received care, The News Tribune reported in late June.
While the exact location of his “forever home” has not been revealed, the zoo announced Thursday that the animal now resides in an accredited zoo somewhere along the East Coast.
“This young kinkajou’s survival is a testament to the collaborative efforts of state wildlife law enforcement and the Point Defiance Zoo, highlighting the dangers of the illegal pet trade,” Tacoma’s zoo wrote Thursday in a Facebook post.
Kinkajous aren’t considered endangered, but hunters do target them for their meat and fur, as well as the exotic-pet trade, the zoo wrote. The animals are native to the tropical rain forests of South and Central America.
The small furry creatures use prehensile tails to hang from trees, but they aren’t primates. Rather, kinkajous are related to raccoons, The News Tribune previously reported. They’re sometimes called “honey bears” thanks to their affinity for drinking honey from bee hives.
“Despite their cuteness,” the zoo wrote on Facebook, “kinkajous do not make good pets.”
It’s unclear how the young kinkajou wound up at the rest stop in Yakima, Malia Somerville, Point Defiance Zoo’s general curator, previously told The News Tribune. The animal received a veterinary exam upon its arrival in Tacoma.
A video posted to the zoo’s website shows the checkup, which found that although the thin kinkajou had internal parasites, his fur was in good condition.
The kinkajou was a big fan of fruit-and-veggie baby-food mix — especially banana and sweet potatoes — and he enjoyed licking the nectar and pollen out of flowers, the zoo told The News Tribune on Friday. He would emit a “chirpy whistle” to greet his keepers.
The young mammal was also agile and fast, and he gained weight during his time at Point Defiance, per the zoo. The kinkajou was not given a name during his Tacoma sojourn; his new home will do the honors.
This story was originally published September 7, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
