NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Police received a call about an animal that might be a monkey or a very small kangaroo hiding behind a trash can outside a business. The correct answer was somehow stranger: a kinkajou from the tropical forests of Central and South America.
KERA reports that officers found the distressed animal near a North Texas strip mall. A wildlife specialist identified it as a female kinkajou and found burn marks on her paws from the hot concrete.
What is a kinkajou?
Kinkajous are tree-dwelling mammals related to raccoons, not monkeys and definitely not kangaroos. They are sometimes called honey bears because they eat fruit, nectar and honey and possess a long tongue useful for reaching food.
They are nocturnal, built for rainforest canopies and spectacularly unqualified for a sun-baked Texas parking lot. Officers wrapped the animal in a towel and moved it to appropriate care.
How did it get behind a restaurant?
That part remained unclear in the available reporting. Kinkajous are kept in the exotic-pet trade, so escape or abandonment is possible, but no specific origin should be asserted until authorities identify an owner or explain the circumstances.
The incident is charming only after the animal is safe. Burned paws are a reminder that exotic animals displaced into unsuitable climates can suffer quickly, whether the cause is an accident, irresponsible ownership or illegal trade.
Small-town weird, properly delivered
The responding officer had to process three realities in order: somebody reported a monkey-kangaroo, the creature existed, and it had a name that sounds like a discontinued fruit drink. This is precisely why Wade Crowley keeps his shoes by the door.
The kinkajou survived its terrible parking-lot adventure. The remaining mystery is how a rainforest acrobat reached suburban Texas, where even the pavement was trying to kill it.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.
Wade Crowley
Strange News & Small-Town WeirdWade collects stories that begin with “You are not going to believe what happened at the Walmart.” He covers odd crime, local legends, UFOs, and reality losing the plot.
“Somewhere, a police report is already getting weirder.”