A new mammal called an Olinguito has been discovered in South America. It’s a relative of the raccoon, and has been described as looking like a teddy bear.
(I think there hasn’t been a thread on this yet - mods, feel free to merge my thread if needed.)
Charming.
Actually I had never heard of Olingos even.
I’ve seen olingos (and kinkajous and cacomistles) in Panama.
I know one of the coauthors, who has done a lot of work on kinkajous here.
NBC News reported they’ve had one in the National Zoo (Washington, DC) for years and never knew what it was.
Olingo, Olinguito…I see trouble ahead for their credit reports…
They did a segment on this on the PBS NewsHour tonight. The guy brought a stuffed dead one with him to show off, along with a little skull. He was so dorky and excited, it was really cute.
Here’s the BBC report, with a couple more pictures.
It’s hard enough to tell Olingos from Kinkajous in the field. It’s not surprising to me that this might have been passed off as just a small Olingo for a long time.
As this is “Mundane Pointless Stuff” – herewith a bit of verse I’ve thought of, about this very lovable creature. To the tune of the sea-shanty “Serafina”.
A beast there lives in Ecuador, its name is Olinguito –
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
It’s lately been discovered, out of its long retreat-o;
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
Cute, cuddly, and like raccoon, or teddy bear, so sweet-o –
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
All First-World folk want one as a pet – 'twould be so very neat-o:
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
I saw the sights in Guayaquil, and then went up to Quito,
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
The finest sight I saw in the zoo, was the gorgeous olinguito –
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
I went up to a zookeeper, and said, “A not-bright feat, o --”
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
" – by you chaps for years confusing small olingos, with olinguito";
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
The zookeeper to me he said, "Hey, gringo, for a treat, o – "
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
“What say five extra bucks for me, now you’ve seen an olinguito?”
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
“Corruption ! Sleaze !” I crossly cried – “this conduct is not meet, o” –
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
“Typical, though, of how round here, you folks a tourist treat, o” –
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
“Piss off, then,” said the zookeeper, “You, I’m not glad to meet, o” –
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
“And I speak for all in Ecuador, including the olinguito.”
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
I went straight to the airport and I flew away from Quito –
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
Out of their stinking country I beat gladly a retreat-o –
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
Happily home in Blighty now, till next I get a tweet-o,
Olinguito ! Olinguito !
Re next new beast in Third-World dump, to which I’ll point my feet, o:
May that go better than Ecuador, and its poxy olinguito –
Olinguito, o Olinguito !
applauds vontsira 
In related news, it seems that the International Committee of Guys in Charge of Naming New Animals (ICGCNNWZ) has finally admitted to having run out of good names for newly discovered animals, and has admitted to borrowing the handbook of names from the International Committee of Guys in Charge of Naming New Fruit (ICGCNNF).
Thanks. I enjoy thinking up daft verse…