Comforting a scared baby raccoon, Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins

We had one young solo this year and couldn't find a buddy. I decided to put her in an outside cage early next to an adult female raccoon. All was going well until a hawk landed on top of her cage. She got scared and started screaming. The adult raccoon was trying to scare the hawk away as I ran to the cage. I shoo'd the hawk away but baby was still crying so I held her for a minute or so until she calmed down. She started suckling my arm and purring. I put her back in her cage and she sucked on her stuffie instead. It's her third day outside and all was going well until the hawk. I realize I said "squirrel." I sometimes call every wild animal a squirrel when I'm not thinking. She will be released back to the wild when able. She is now in a cage with an adult female. We are licensed wildlife rehabilitators. Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins, http://www.animaladvocates.us

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• baby
• raccoon
• coon
• wildlife
• rehabilitation
• rescue
• wild
• animal
• animal advocates
• mary cummins
• www.animaladvocates.us

[Trinbin21]

did that hurt?

[MaryCummins]

@Trinbin21 The raccoon is suckling, not biting. It didn't hurt at all.

[FuzzyForever1]

Mary my pup keeps finding baby yellow-belly turtles and chewing on them :/ but there are no lakes around for a few miles, and she cant get out of the backyard. Where do you think shes getting these?

[MaryCummins]

@FuzzyForever1 I have no idea. We don't have those turtles where I live. We generally have aquatic turtles but around ponds and lakes. Sorry I can't help you.

[aswann0831]

Mary, my dog always brings baby rabbits onto our porch! what should i do with them this summer?

[MaryCummins]

@aswann0831 If they are injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. It'd be great to reunite healthy babies with mom but if your dog can still get to them, not a good idea.

[unspokenunknown]

you're a good mama even if you can't keep your babies

[tf2whackyengineer]

@GilaTomster I'm glad you show such concern for animals. Braking to avoid hitting them is good, but I would suggest that you not swerve too much to avoid them. For one, you never know which way some animals are going to dart when something is coming at them. Two, so many people have been injured, killed, or have injured others swerving to avoid an animal and running off the road. I'm not saying you shouldn't dodge, or drive around, but be careful to avoid other cars and maintain stability.

[31kkhatib]

squirl?

[SuperKare123]

<3

[rizlahouse]

@mrdeleted ok I see it now> Just got a kick out of it when she kept calling it that.. fyi 99% of people will prob never see the descrip. Not that I care either way she can call it w/e she wants, long as shes helping the animal I don't mind.

[mrdeleted]

@rizlahouse its in the description.

[rizlahouse]

Why does she keep calling it a squirrel

[SaulTBawlz]

That isn't a squirrel...

[unlimitedhugs1]

@StokesIsTheName haha i noticed that to.

[OJtheModerator]

Raccoons purr?

[MarcothePhoenix]

i know words dont mean much but great job with the animals its cool that your making a change in there livess