The Story of Olinguito, A Mammal That Was Finally Identified Nearly a Century After It Was First Collected

A recent episode of the American Museum of Natural History series Shelf Life tells the story of the olinguito, a mammal in the raccoon family that was finally described and identified nearly a century after it was first collected and put in the museum. In the episode, museum curator of mammals Kristofer Helgen tells how he first found the unusual pelts and skulls of the olinguito, and how that led to the search to find living specimens in the wild.

As we have previously written, the olinguito is quite adorable.

photo via Smithsonian Science