Conservation police officers in New York state said a reported 'primate' spotted on a resident's porch was actually an escaped kinkajou, a relative of the raccoon. Photo courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Ulster County sheriff's deputies and Plattekill police arrived on the scene first and wrangled the animal into a pet carrier.
The conservation police officers identified the creature as a kinkajou, a raccoon relative that is native to tropical rain forests and is often mistaken for a primate.
The officers said kinkajous are not primates and they are legal to own in the state without a permit.
The kinkajou was taken to the New Paltz Animal Hospital for temporary lodging, and staff at the hospital who were familiar with the animal contacted its owner to take it home.
