A busy start to 2012

January 7, 2012

It has been a very busy week for Friends! We took in several injured squirrels, raptors, and this little guy. He has a sad story, but hopefully is on his way to a happier life. He is a juvenile, probably born this past spring. He was rescued by a kind lady who witnessed him being attacked by dogs. She chased the dogs off, and was then surprised when he didn’t run away, but rather approached her. He seemed very tame to her, so she took him home (this is not recommended however!). It was apparent that he had been raised as someone’s pet and then “set free” when he was older. He was probably also imprinted on dogs, so he didn’t know enough to run away from them. Raccoons raised as pets cannot simply be turned loose when they are older as they lack the skills and knowledge they need to survive in the wild.
By the time he was brought to us, his bite wounds were severely infected and he needed to visit the vet to be sedated and have them cleaned up. He is back at the center now, but will need a lengthly recovery time to heal. He is being treated with antibiotics and painkillers until he feels better. Once he does, he will be placed with other juvenile raccoons still in our care so he can begin to learn about being a wild animal. His convalescence will be long and costly, so if you would like to donate towards his care, please click on the link on our site. We will keep you posted on his progress.