We've barely had time for the kerfuffle over Dobby the giraffe to calm down, but here comes the Denver Zoo to announce the birth of another adorable creature: Miso-Chi the fishing cat.
Just try to look at this thing and say its name without a squeal in your voice. I dare you.
Anyway, I say "thing" because the zoo says its sex is unknown right now. It was born to mother Namfon and father Ronaldo on January 25.
This is the first successful birth of a fishing cat at the zoo it sounds like quite a process. According to the press release, Ronaldo came from a private facility in Houston that specializes in the propagation of rare and endangered species. He and Namfon, who came from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in D.C., were paired up under a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. The program works to maintain healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals.
Fishing cats are about twice the size of a house cat and are generally found in southwest India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Java and Pakistan. They're strong swimmers and, obviously, fish are a key part of their diets. They mainly live in swamps, marshes and densely vegetated areas along rivers and streams.
Want to watch Miso-Chi learn to dive for fish? Of course you do. He can be seen now at the Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., in the Marynelle Philpott Fishing Cat Lagoon at Toyota Elephant Passage.
