Raccoon

Do I not have THE cutest face?

The Soco Zoo is closing for personal reasons of the owners. These people care a great deal about all of their animals and wanted to ensure that each and every one found the perfect home for all of their residents. We were trying to help them with the placement of a few of their animals and just could not find an appropriate facility for Bella. So, she came to live with us here at CLAWS. Our hope is that she will settle in enough to be able to go out and do outreach program the way Pooka does now.

In the short time we have had with Bella we can already see that she is a doll of a girl! Has been extremely well cared for and is very social. It is wonderful to take in an animal who came from such a wonderful situation.

In The Wild

Raccoons inhabit parts of Canada and most of the United States, making their homes in hollow trees and logs and sometimes raising their families in burrows in the ground made by other animals. They are incredibly bright animals, ranking in the top 10 in scientific studies done to determine the brightest animals on the planet. The only reason they aren't higher up on that list is that most consider them to be solitary, and therefore believe they do not work together, which is one of the criteria for determining how bright animals are. However, many people who work closely with raccoons (such as rehabilitators) will tell you that they are actually very social creatures. Since they actually don't hunt, but are opportunistic feeders, there really is no need for them to work together to hunt. Though, if they find a source of food, such as dog food in a back yard, they do tend to tell their friends about it. Scientists have observed colonies of up to 20 raccoons denning together through the winter months. They are incredible animals to watch and study, and incredibly challenging to keep in captivity because of the need to keep their minds active. A bored raccoon is like a bored child, usually destined to get themselves into trouble.

Sadly, they are currently the largest reservoir for rabies in the United States. Bait programs have shown to be very effective in reducing the numbers of rabies cases, but are expensive for the government to run, so not many are in progress at the moment.

To the Native Americans, raccoons symbolize curiosity, disguise, dexterity, seeking guidance and confidence, questioning fear, balancing curiosity and inquisitiveness. Native Americans consider the raccoon to be the oldest animal in America, while this is not true, the opossum is actually the oldest species, its in interesting tid bit.

Classification:	Procyon Lotor
Native Region:	United States and southern Canada
Diet:	Omnivorous. Raccoons are opportunistic feeders, eating everything from berries to eggs
Behavior:	Raccoons are nocturnal, preferring to only come out at night, though during certain times of year, it is not at all uncommon to see them out during the day looking for food.
Social Structure:	Raccoons are believed to be primarily solitary creatures, though dens of up to 20 raccoons have been seen in the winter..
Interesting Facts:	The term Procyon means "before dog" and Lotor means "washing". Raccoons are well known for "washing" whatever they pick up. It is believed that they are not actually washing these things, but getting a better feel of them. Raccoons have incredibly sensitive hands. Raccoons are considered to be the most adaptable species in the US, living in all regions, including in cities. Did you know that a Raccoon named Rebecca lived in the White House with President Calvin Coolidge, our 30th president? He used to walk her around the grounds on a leash.

Bella Raccoon

In The Wild

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