"I was awaken by a phone call at 2 a.m., which is
never good news, and it was from my terrified mother-in-law," said Carlos
Aguaras.
Aguaras said he rushed over, and found the animal that had
terrified his mother-in-law. The only other person in the home at the time was
her live-in caregiver.
It was a kinkajou, an animal usually found in the
rainforests of Central and South America, said Veterinarian Dr. Don J. Harris,
who works for the South Dade Avian & Exotic Animal Medical Center.
Aguaras said the animal was in the attic when he arrived,
and they lured it out with food. They got it inside a cage and brought it to
Dr. Harris, who said he knew the animal belonged to someone.
"No undomesticated wild animal like this would curl up
on a woman's chest to go to sleep," Dr. Harris explained.
The animal, whose name is Banana, was being cared for at
South Dade Animal Hospital, where the medical center operates, but will be
reunited with its owner Wednesday morning.
There's no word on how the animal got loose, but the
woman's family has a message for the owners. "Put it in the hands of the
experts, but it's not intended to be a pet in a home," Aguaras said.
Kinkajous typically spend most of their time in trees. They
have the ability to turn their feet backwards to run easily in either
direction, along branches or up tree trunks. Kinkajous also often hang from
their tails. According to National Geographic, they are sometimes called
"honey bears" because they raid bees' nests by slurping honey from
the hive.
