Scientists have discovered a “new” species of carnivore, the olinguito, in South America. I say “new” in quotes because the animal is not new, just the discovery. The olinguito has probably been scampering around the jungle for eons, not caring that humans had not assigned it a genus and species (Bassaricyon neblina, in case you’re curious).
To be fair, the olinguito is pretty adorable.
![By Mark Gurney [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Olinguito_ZooKeys_324_solo.jpg "By Mark Gurney [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
The olinguito gets its name from the classically-beautiful actress Lena Olin:
![Bobby Mcdobbin [CC BY-SA 2.0], on Flickr](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/146895823_93b89def6b.jpg "Bobby Mcdobbin [CC BY-SA 2.0], on Flickr")
Wait, that’s not right. It gets its name from the olingo, a close-relative that also lives in South America, and is presumably slightly bigger than the olinguito. I don’t know if the olingo gets its name from the Olin family, but I sort of doubt it.
Lest you get carried away with the olinguito’s cuteness, keep in mind that it is a member of the family Procyonidae, part of the order Carnivora. So while it is in the same taxonomic orders as puppies and kittens, its closest well-known relative is the raccoon.
Photo credits: Mark Gurney [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Bobby Mcdobbin [CC BY-SA 2.0], on Flickr.
