Coatis living wild in the UK?

  Brazilian aardvark. 
  Funny phrase to describe a coatimundi, isn't it?
  That's how my favorite little critter's being described in the UK right now.  Especially in a little place called Cumbria.
  According to several local news sources, a group of about ten coati have set up camp somewhere in the vicinity of Cumbria and it's a possibility that those ten may multiply.  After reading about the hilarious antics of a coati threatening townsfolk long ago (hilarious because I could only imagine the shenanigans that coatis pull on occasion), this could be another incident much in the same vein as what was referred to as the Peel Street Monster from so long ago. 
  What the hell am I talking about?  Read on.
  I've read through several accounts of the 'Cumbrian Coatis' or 'Brazilian Aardvarks of Cumbria' and almost all of them seem like a game of telephone only instead of a group of the obvious demographic that regularly partakes of the game with giggles in the sandbox at recess the players are individuals who refer to themselves as journalists.  Not everything comes up on the first page of a search, people. 
  From the research that yours truly has done, it appears that the coatimundi who're living in Cumbria started appearing way back in 2004 when a couple out for a walk reported spotting one. According to a report by Natural England’s Wildlife Management & Licensing Team, one was found that same year and appears to have been destroyed at that time.
  Since that time, reports of a group of ten coati keeps circulating.  Recently the story was brought to light again.  Either it was a slow news day or it helped ease the pain of Cumbrians who'd just suffered through horrendous flooding and a terrible, tax-induced shooting spree by some idiot.
  Currently the Cumbrian Coati are like little furry ghosts that are quietly fluttering about in the UK (the link to the left mentions that a zoo contains 27 coatis. After checking out the website for that zoo, coatimundis are not listed as being part of their animals.  Sidenote - If ANY zoo in the world has 27 coati?  Stay away...the coatis are planning something)  Part of me laughs that these little monsters have once again popped up in the media for causing alarm amongst modern civilization.  Another part of me is secretly excited and hopes that some actual research will take place so that we can learn more about the troupe of 'Brazilian Aardvarks' that may or not be slowly building an army of snack-snatching marauders in the English country-side.
  Dear Cumbrians:
  What ever you do should you catch site of one of these creatures? RUN. Run as fast as your desire to live will carry you!
  Why? Because according to one eyewitness and media source the Cumbrian Coati is a meat-eating, three-foot-long animal the size of a labrador retriever!  
  Sleep tight, Cumbrians and remember Peel Street.

Coati vs Jaguar footage!

  I'd heard about this footage a while ago from Mary Stouffer's 'Wild America'.  This small clip from the show has made its way to YouTube and I thought I'd share it with all of you who often ask just how aggressive a coatimundi can be.  This is a perfect example of how ridiculously formidable a coati can be.
 
There are a couple of interesting things to notice in this video for those that are curious abouit coatimundi behaviors especially during an event like this.
  At around :16 in the video you'll hear the snarl of the jaguar.  Watch the coati get startled and you'll notice the tail flair up. This 'fluffing' of the tail (a phrase that almost sounds wrong) is like a gauge that describes just how dangerous the situation is.  If a coati is semi-threatened or startled, the tail will only 'fluff' a little.  If, on the other hand, the situation is extremely threatening? That tail will actually become so 'fluffed' that it will look like a bottle brush or a giant pipe-cleaner.
  When the video reaches :36 after the attack, you'll notice the jaguar has obviously been injured.  Take a second to go back and look at the posting entitled the 'Peel Street Monster'.  Take a good, long look at the image that's at the top of that post.  That image is one upset coatimundi and the full arsenal of this little animals deadly denture set.  Four self-sharpening, inch-long canines that can cut through skin like a razorblade (I know from personal experience...but that's a story for another time).  Coatimundi also have a VERY serious set of claws that can open up your skin like a sharpened knife through a wet newspaper (again...a story for another time).  Because of the coati fighting style, I'm assuming that a vicious laceration from the teeth are damaged the jaguar's paw.
  Notice the coatis tail at :43.  You'll see it sort of swishing from side-to-side.  This is a warning against would-be attackers.  Most of the time this is in combination with a noise I really can't describe in words (I'll try to get an audio clip of the noise...you won't forget it).  Coatis first defense, like most small animals is the simple rule of the wild...the smaller the creature, the bigger the attitude.
  The last thing to notice is something that's always been interesting to me.  Like bears, coatis will 'clack' their mouth if they're agitated about something.  Watch the coatis mouth just after 1:01 and turn the volume up.  You'll see his mouth open very quickly and hear a quick noise.  Typically this signals that they're aggravated by something.
  This video is amazing to see.  What's cooler is being able to see some of the defense tools that coatis use in the wild to protect themselves and their troupe from attack.  During my time learning about these animals I've learned that even wolves and jaguars have become prey to an attack from a troop of animals trying to protect the troupe.
  Another reason that I'm completely fascinated by this deceivingly cute little creature..who could probably tear my face off in a heartbeat.

Coati Appears in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune on the Playstation 3!

 
That's right, coati fans! Coatis have made an appearance in a videogame!  And not just any videogame.
In 2007's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the Playstation 3, your character Nathan Drake is on a modern day Indiana Jones-esque adventure.  During the course of the game, the player will occasionally notice very small flashes of light in out of the way places that denote the location of a 'treasure' that Drake can add to his relics.  Two of these relics are a gold coatimundi statue as well as a silver coatimundi statue (see pic)!
   Being a long-time gamer and hardcore coatimundi fan, you can't even begin to understand how excited I was when I noticed one of these small flashing objects behind a crate, directed Drake over to it, picked it up and finally saw it come up on my 'items' list!  I had no idea that the game contained this little statue and was ecstatic when my inventory list told me I'd just picked up a coatimundi statue! Just. Awesome!
  While I only found the silver coati statue, I'll be going back for the other soon.
   Just had to share this with all of you coatimundi fans who aren't into playing videogames just because it's kinda cool how this amazing little critter sneaks into just about everything.
  Now, game developers: When are we gonna get a game with a coati as the central character?  Seriously!
  Enjoy the two videos below showing the location and collecting of the statues.

 The Gold Coatimundi Statue


The Silver Coatimundi Statue:

On the Search for Charlie Crowfoot and the Coatimundi - Part 1

  

  A couple of years ago I happened to be at work and came across a huge volume of a book containing all of Disney's films, television shows and animated films since the company began.  It was fascinating to see some of the projects that Disney helmed over the years.  The entire book was alphabetized.  When I got to the middle of the 'C' pages (I could've said "'C' section'" but that'd be a horrible pun...so I included it in these parantheses instead) that things got really interesting.  Why?

  A film called Charlie Crowfoot and the Coatimundi was listed.

  I froze a little with excitement and reread the title and description again.  Whaaaaat?  Disney made a film featuring my favorite little terror of the forest?  Are you kidding?

  Two minutes later I was emailing Dave Smith, the Disney archivist whose brain should've exploded long ago with all the Disney knowledge that he stores there, about the film.  I never received a response.  Not too long after that Dave retired as archivist and I was back where I started with nothing but a blurb in a book.

   I would LOVE to see a copy of this film!

  Since that day I've been looking for all the information I can find regarding the film.  

  For the last year I've all but given up on locating a copy.  Today, on a whim, I decided to start up the hunt again to see if I can, in fact, locate a copy of what's sure to be a fun look at a coati in a full-length film. 

  Here's the first discovery on what's sure to be an interesting road to securing an actual copy of the film.

  If YOU have any information regarding the film?  Please feel free to send it my way.  

  And if you have a copy of the film Charlie Crowfoot and the Coatimundi?  You know how to get in touch with me.

   North Carolina Rock Herald Newspaper from September 17, 1971 (or click on the photo above to read a larger version of the image)

Coatimundi Day is February 1st at New Jersey Zoo!

  While perusing some news feeds, I came across something I hadn't heard of before, Coatimundi Day!
Similar to Groundhog Day when Punxsutawney Phil peeps out to give everyone the news on winter, Coatimundi Day comes a day early to the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, New Jersey.
  For more about what sounds like a fun event for coati lovers, check out the article below.  Also check out the official Groundhog Day site further down.
  If any of you have pictures of more information about the event?  Please don't hesitate to send it my way!  Would love to post some pics anyone would be willing to share.
 
Coatimundi Day at Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, New Jersey
The Official Groundhog Day Site

"It gets cold in Dawson Creek, especially for a coatimundi."

  Once again people decide that hoarding exotics is a way to 'be cool'.  Here's a story that hit the radar about two weeks ago.  It's your typical wealthy people purchasing wild animals for a collection or just say 'look at me, look at me'.
  I felt that this story should be posted in the Collected Coatimundi because one of the animals who seemed to have the most trauma was a little coatimundi.
  "The coatimundi was being kept in a dog crate and had chewed its own paws, Ms. Moriarty said."
  Just reading that quote and thinking about such an intelligent, social animal like a coati being housed in a tiny dog crate where a horrible neurotic behavior like this can develop breaks my heart.
  I just don't get it the reasoning.  I never will.
  Read the rest of the story in the link below:

Dawson Creek couple receives $700 fine for animal cruelty

Logan's Run - Christmas just seems appropriate for this story.

 
If you're looking at the picture on the right and your heart is breaking?  I'm right there with you.  A couple of years ago I came across this photo during a Google image search for coatimundis.  Immediately I clicked on the image to find out more about the story behind the photo.  To my shock, this damage was committed by a human being who'd dumped this poor little guy into the snow where he fended for himself during several winter storms for EIGHT DAYS!
  You can read all about Logan's rescue, his fight for survival, the amazing people who cared for him and his tear-jerking recovery.
  After I'd found the site and read Logan's Blog I really wanted to contribute and find out more about his current condition.  Because the site is so unorganized, it's really difficult to find out what's happening with him as of this writing.  I've sent several emails through the site but have yet to get some kind of response (that was during '07 when the blog was more active).  Deciding to post this whole story about this poor little coati also prompted me to send a few more emails in hopes of finding out what ever happened to Logan.
  I'll keep you posted if I hear anything.
  To read this story in a more organized fashion than the original site allows you to, I'm posting links to the various pages in an order that's easier to digest.
  One word of warning.  The photo gallery can be hard to look at for some people.  If you have a hard time looking at images of injured appendages?  I suggest you steer clear of the photos.  To get yourself fired up and motivated to help centers that do this kind of rescue work?  By all means look at the photos.  Nothing will piss you off faster or make you take action quicker than seeing what occurred to this little guy because someone just decided to toss him out the window.

Looking for Logan and His Rescue!

The Original Press Release When The Story Broke

Logan's Blog

Logan's Photo Gallery (w/o surgical photos)

Logan's Surgery Photos (Not for the squeamish) See what this poor little guy had to endure.

  Sorry to be a downer during this time of year, but Logan's battle for survival is a reminder of how we should all be looking out for each other.  And that includes the smallest of us.  That includes Logan.
  Take care of each other.
  Tony