Visitors to the Denver Zoo can now see Rico, the first fossa pup ever born there.
A fossa is a cousin to a mongoose and resembles a small mountain lion, the zoo said in a news release.
“They have short, brown coats. Adults stand about 8 inches tall at the shoulder and can stretch about 2½ feet from head to backside. Their tails can be just as long and provide good balance when navigating though trees while hunting for prey. Their teeth, jaws and partially retractable claws resemble those of a cat, but their agility has been described as almost primate-like. They can hang upside down and quickly climb to the top of a tree,” the zoo said.
The animals are native to Madagascar and weigh about 20 pounds.
Rico was born July 28 to parents Violet and Dorian, who came to Denver from zoos in Omaha and Utah, respectively. The family can be seen in the Feline Building.
