New Mammal Discovered in Borneo

It makes sense to me that there could be many creatures that we still haven’t discovered or identified. Pretty cool stuff.

“JAKARTA (AFP) – Researchers from the WWF conservation group may have made the extremely rare discovery of a new species of mammal in the dense forests of central Borneo, the organisation said.

The carnivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat with dark red fur and a long bushy tail, was photographed twice by an automated camera at night in 2003 on the Indonesian side of the island, the WWF said Tuesday.

Neither Bornean wildlife experts nor locals well acquainted with the area recognised the animal, the group said.

The animal, which has very small ears and large hind legs, was spotted in the Kayan Mentarang national park in the mountainous jungles of Kalimantan, where vast tracts of rainforest still remain.

“Most were convinced it was a new species of carnivore,” WWF said, adding that researchers were hoping to set traps to catch a live specimen.”