Imagine waking up to a strange furry creature sleeping on your chest! That’s what happened to a 99-year old Miami woman when she woke to find an unknown animal sleeping with her in bed. The woman and the animal awoke at the same time and “both screamed” at which point the creature fled to her attic, WPLG reports.
The woman’s son-in-law came over and after a bit of detective work, they determined the animal, which looks like a cross between a raccoon and a monkey, is a kinkajou.
Kinkajous are nocturnal, tree-dwelling mammals native to Central and South America. They are not intended to be pets and can be quite dangerous, according to Dr. Don Harris of South Dade Animal Hospital. The vet took in the kinkajou after the family managed to lure the animal into a kennel.
Apparently, kinkajous can be legally kept as pets with special permits, but they really aren’t suited for life in a home. This particular animal is named Banana and has owners, but it is unclear how the animal ended up in the elderly woman’s house or who the animal’s owners are. Thankfully, both the old woman and Banana are fine.
What a crazy story!
Banana was later picked up by his owners.
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