Researchers have announced that they may have discovered a new species of carnivore in the forests of Borneo. Dubbed “the beast of Borneo,” the creature resembles a lemur or small civet-type cat and was caught via “camera traps” — motion-activated cameras left in clearings and on forest trails. Scientists say that if the animal is indeed a new species of carnivore, it would be the first found in the area since the Borneo ferret-badger was first seen in 1895.
Enviros point out that the possible discovery of a new carnivore species just emphasizes how little we know about remote, but ecologically diverse areas such as Borneo’s tropical forests — regions that are also valuable to destructive industries like commercial hardwood logging.
Will this cat-fox-lemur critter even survive long enough for us to determine what to call it?
I certainly hope so. Especially if it means we get to name it something fun. Like ferret-badger.
