'Extinct' animal found alive and well in Cuba
 

http://www.ananova.com/images/web/70331.jpg

An insect-eating mammal, believed for years to have been extinct, has been found alive and well in Cuba.

The male almiqui, which is native to Cuba, was found in the island's eastern mountains, according to Cuban news agency Prensa Latina.

The discovery raises hopes "that it will not wind up in the catalogue of the irretrievable animals disappearing from the face of the Earth," said the agency.

The creature looks like a brownish woolly badger with a long, pink-tipped snout and can measure up to 50 centimetres.

The nocturnal animal burrows underground during the daytime, explaining why it is rarely seen by people. After the sun goes down, it emerges to root out worms, larvae and insects.

Named Alejandrito by the farmer who found it, the living almiqui was said to be in perfect health by veterinarians.

Alejandrito was held in captivity for two days of study and medical tests, then marked and let free in the same area it was found.

The last reported sightings of the creatures were in 1972 in the eastern province of Guantanamo, and 25 years later in 1999 in the eastern province of Holguin.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_822421.html

So, I haven't posted in a while, and Cuba rocks.

Oh my that's great news! It's so wonderful to hear good news.

And look at him... he's sooooo adorable!

That is awesome news! And yeah, he's so cute!!! :) I like how they held up a sheet of paper behind him. He looks a little peeved though. :p

That's a funny looking little guy.

Wow, that little critter looks like a Jim Henson creation. Pretty cool that it's alive, though. Gives us hope....

:smitten:

I have Alejandrito's photo hanging in my cube at work now. :D It seems that people think he's repulsive :cry: and are offended by his photo hanging in my cube. :huh:

Oh dear! I almost hate to say this, but... I think that the photo w/ the paper behind is of a dead stuffed specimen in a museum display. Granted, I've never seen an almiqui, but where else would there be those weird mossy twigs and things at waist-level with people behind them? And why else the bizarre facial expression? Poor guy... Eh, I could be wrong, but anyway my guess is that's NOT Alejandrito. Just looks too much like the typical "Argh! I'm dead!" mount you usually see in museums. You know?

But it is good news that they found one of these little (extremely wierd-- to be added to my list of favorite super-strange mammals :D) guys alive & well. Cuba IS awesome! :)

Whoever that particular almiqui is, alive or dead, s/he reminds me quite a lot of the "nicktoon", "The Angry Beavers". :)

Here is a more lively looking Almiqui. Here is also more info on the cute little buggers.

http://www.savci.upol.cz/gal/_4/stet...aitsky__ns.jpg

Much better! :)

Ahhh, ignorance was bliss until herbi posted. The picture I posted WAS of a stuffed one, I found the same picture at a wider angle with a caption on Yahoo. Thanks for the living image VM!

thats great
 

thanks for that, cute animal.

:smitten: :daisy:

They are offended by his photo hanging in your cubicle? Did you tell them that you find THEM offensive? lol :) Just kidding. But seriously, how could they find that offensive?

Yeah, actually, I do find most of them offensive! Ha! Most people I work with just aren't too ... umm... well, they just don't get it - anything. They do what the TV tells them to do.

I'm the weird girl at work. Most people just avoid me. :skull: