什么是蜜熊 ?为什么它在我家?

什么是蜜熊 ?为什么它在我家?

Imagine for a moment you're asleep in your bed when you slowly come to the realization that something is in the bed with you. You awake to see an odd animal sleeping on your chest, one that looks like a cross between a ferret and a monkey!

想象一下，当你在床上睡着的时候，你慢慢意识到床上有东西和你在一起。当你醒来时，你看到一只奇怪的动物趴在你的胸口上睡觉，它看起来像是雪貂和猴子的混合体!

Or maybe you're on your way to work in the morning when this strange mammal rushes past you into the house, biting your ankles and scratching your calves.

或者也许你在早晨上班的路上，这只奇怪的哺乳动物从你身边冲进屋里，咬你的脚踝，抓你的小腿。

Native to Central and South America, kinkajous are nocturnal rainforest dwellers related to raccoons. (Photo: Seregraff/Shutterstock)

No, these aren't taken from a new Stephen King novel. Both of these scenarios have happened to people recently in Florida.

不，这些不是取自史蒂芬·金的新小说。这两种情况最近都发生在佛罗里达州的人们身上。

In the latest incident, a man in Lake Worth first noticed the raccoon-like animal on a fence outside his girlfriend's home in July, CNN reports. He left out some watermelon for it, which apparently inspired it to wait outside the house all night, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). As the man began to leave for work the next morning, the animal slipped inside, then bit and scratched his legs when he tried convincing it to leave.

据美国有线电视新闻网报道，在最近的一起事件中，沃斯湖的一名男子于今年7月首次注意到这只浣熊模样的动物出现在女友家外的围栏上。根据佛罗里达鱼类和野生动物保护委员会(FWC)的说法，他留下了一些西瓜给它吃，这显然激发了它整夜在屋外等待。第二天早上，当这个人准备去上班时，这只动物溜了进去，当他试图说服它离开时，它又咬又抓了他的腿。

And in early 2016, a 99-year-old woman in Miami woke up to discover a similar creature curled up on her chest. Both she and the intruder were startled, prompting it to flee and hide in her attic. After consulting with a family friend, the woman learned the animal was a kinkajou (pronounced KING-kə-joo), a nocturnal mammal related to raccoons that's native to rainforests in Central and South America.

2016年初，迈阿密一名99岁的妇女醒来时发现了一个类似的生物蜷缩在她的胸前。她和闯入者都吓了一跳，促使它逃跑，躲在她的阁楼里。与家人朋友咨询后,女人知道了该动物是一个蜜熊(发音KING-kə-joo),夜间哺乳动物与浣熊原产于中美洲和南美洲的热带雨林。

A wild kinkajou looks down from a tree branch in Costa Rica. (Photo: Martin Pelanek/Shutterstock)

Kinkajous — or honey bears, as they're also called due to their habit of raiding bee hives — have strong tails that they use for balance and climbing, similar to the way monkeys use their tails. They aren't primates, though, and while they can look and sound like monkeys, they're more closely related to raccoons, olingos and coatis.

Kinkajous熊，也叫蜜熊，因为它们有袭击蜂巢的习惯，它们有强壮的尾巴，用来平衡和攀爬，就像猴子用尾巴一样。然而，它们并不是灵长类动物，虽然它们看起来和听起来都像猴子，但它们与浣熊、浣熊和浣熊的亲缘关系更近。

Some folks contend kinkajous are not the best pets because they have sharp claws and teeth, and even when raised from babies they can be unpredictable. In the wild, they form treetop groups known as troops, according to National Geographic, and share social interactions like grooming. They're also highly vocal, commonly barking and screeching from high in the forest canopy.

有些人认为蜜熊不是最好的宠物，因为它们有锋利的爪子和牙齿，即使是在婴儿时期养大的，它们也是不可预测的。据《国家地理》杂志报道，在野外，它们会在树顶形成一个群体，称为“部队”(army)，并分享梳理毛发等社交活动。它们的声音也很高，通常在森林树冠的高处吠叫和尖叫。

This 1931 photo shows a little girl caring for a kinkajou. (Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

But others argue the playful, quiet and docile nature of the kinkajou can make it a suitable pet, presuming it has adequate space and other accommodations.

但也有人认为，蜜熊的顽皮、安静和温顺的天性可以让它成为一个合适的宠物，前提是它有足够的空间和其他住宿条件。

As for the Miami kinkajou, after she was taken to a vet, her owner saw the local news and was thrilled that his pet of five years was OK. The kinkajou, whose name is Banana, had been missing for more than a week after escaping from a temporary cage. There are still questions about the Lake Worth kinkajou, though. Keeping a kinkajou as a pet requires a Class III permit from the FWC, according to CNN, but officials have said they didn't find records of any permit holders in the area.

至于迈阿密金卡茹，在它被带去看兽医后，它的主人看到了当地的新闻，很高兴他五年的宠物没事。这只名叫巴纳纳的金卡茹从一个临时笼子里逃出来，已经失踪一个多星期了。尽管如此，关于金卡茹沃斯湖仍然存在一些问题。据CNN报道，饲养金卡茹作为宠物需要获得FWC颁发的III类许可证，但官员们表示，他们没有在该地区发现任何许可证持有人的记录。