Introducing the olinguito, the newest mammal discovery

WASHINGTON, Aug 16: The long-tailed, orange-furred, big-eyed olinguito – said to resemble a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear – is the newest mammal and the first carnivore discovered in the Americas in 35 years, the Smithsonian Institution announced yesterday. Native to the high, misty cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador, the olinguito is the smallest member of the raccoon family, according to Kristofer Helgen, a Smithsonian scientist who recognized it as a distinct species 10 years ago. (agencies)