Raccoons: Extraordinary Animals—An Introduction to Raccoon Watching
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Several years ago, my neighbor’s cat showed up at my doorstep. I first mistook this Chinchilla Persian breed for a raccoon, judging from his large size with a brown and grey furry coat. Somehow, I thought raccoons were feline relatives. But after a quick search, there are many raccoon facts I didn’t know. Here, I would like to share what I found about this wild animal — maybe trivial, maybe worth noting.
Last week, I learned fascinating facts about skunks. And this week, I noticed their lifestyles are similar to raccoons.
- They both reside mainly in North America.
- They are adaptable to various environments, such as mountains and suburban areas.
- They are nocturnal.
- They are omnivores and eat animals and plants.
- They are wild animals, not pets. Just like the case of skunks, only certified professionals can care for injured or orphaned raccoons at wildlife rehabilitation centers.
- Some people call them “bandits” due to their rummaging behavior and black fur around their eyes. Does this mean that raccoons inspired the Mask of Zorro’s eye mask?
- Raccoons are natural climbers! They even nest in trees! Watch this video of beautiful baby raccoons being rescued by beautiful human souls.
- Have you heard of raccoon dogs? They are not raccoons. They look like raccoons but fall under the canine family, hence the name. Raccoon dogs are originally from East Asia; they are also seen in Europe today.
While browsing websites for more information about this animal, many discuss raccoons as pests. In terms of their behavior, raccoons are generally not aggressive. However, regarding their physiology, raccoons may carry rabies, a deadly virus transmittable among humans and animals. Before labeling raccoons as a cause of this serious disease, it is important to note that other animals — wildlife, stray dogs, and outdoor cats — are also susceptible to rabies.
Therefore, I don’t think raccoons are natural pests unless we make them harmful to our health. I think humans are more likely to initiate contact with raccoons, probably because of their adorable appearances. As a raccoon becomes less fearful of humans, this wild animal starts looking for food at someone’s home and leaving their droppings behind, creating “threats” to human health.
Avoid feeding wild animals*, no matter how cute they look. It is in the best interest of the animals in the long term. Perhaps we can enjoy “raccoonwatching”; like birdwatching, we can observe the beautiful life of a raccoon from afar.
*If you have already bonded with raccoons in your neighborhood, it would be a good idea to search for wildlife protection groups nearby, in case a raccoon gets injured or sick. Not all veterinarians or animal welfare professionals can assist this species without proper knowledge, experience, and resources.