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Denver Zoo Celebrates Birth Of Fossa Pup

DENVER (AP) - The Denver Zoo is showing off its new addition — a 2-month-old fossa pup named Rico.

The pup was born July 28 but has spent the last couple of months behind the scenes under the watchful eye of his mother, Violet.

Fossas look like small mountain lions, but their closest relative is the mongoose. They have short, brown coats, and adults are about 8 inches tall at the shoulder and can stretch about 2 ½ feet from head to backside.

Even though they weigh only about 20 pounds, fossas are the largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar. Their retractable claws resemble those of a cat, but their agility has been described as primate-like.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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