A South American coati which was wrongly mistaken for a 'small bear' has  been captured after it spent two months on the run. The animal escaped from its private owner in Fawley, in Buckinghamshire, just after New Year and the RSPCA were inundated with calls from people claiming to have seen a 'small bear'. Animal welfare officers began hunting the clawed coati after he was spotted up a tree in a garden in Marlow, last month. Scroll down for video . Found: The South American coati was spotted by members of the public, who believed it was a 'small bear' He was finally caught in a humane trap last Monday in the village and was reunited with his owners. Dennis Lovell, the charity's animal collection officer, said the caoti had been missing a month before they were contacted. He said: 'In early February we received a flurry of calls regarding a small bear like animal that was spotted in and around the Marlow area. 'It was eventually established it was actually a coatimundi that was on the loose after escaping from a home in the area. 'We soon discovered where he had escaped from and were in contact with the owners about getting him home safely. 'The coati seemed to be favouring three gardens by the river to visit for food so we laid a humane trap with pieces of fresh fruit at one of the properties. 'Thanks to the help of the nearby householders we were able to keep an eye on the trap and as soon as he was in there I was able to go down, collect him and return him to his owners. Caught: The coati escaped from its private owners after New Year and was finally captured in a humane trap . 'Considering he had been on the run for around two months he was in a very good condition and it was lovely to be able to reunite him with his owners.' Coatis, full name coatimundis and distant relatives to the raccoon, can be difficult to look after because their needs are so specialist. They are native to South, Central and parts of North America and are commonly found in tropical forests, living primarily on a diet of insects. The RSPCA has recommended that anyone considering getting one as a pet thoroughly researches the species.
Animal escaped from private owner in Buckinghamshire after New Year . RSPCA received calls from members of public who spotted a 'small bear'
He was caught in a humane trap last Monday and reunited with owners . Coatis are commonly found in tropical forests and live on diet of insects .