The raccoon, by the time I got beyond my garden, was far down the walk, just heading into the cedars. So that was that.
And then he turned, saw me, and came towards me. Slowly, hesitatingly, as if he hoped for something from me, but wasn't sure I was safe. He was only a couple of metres away when I realized he didn't mean to stop, and shooed him away.
He went, reluctantly, stopping several times to look back at me, in case I had changed my mind.
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| "Do you really mean that? You don't want me here?" |
This is seriously not good. A tame raccoon is in danger; not everyone is kind. And houses have dogs, who are rarely friendly. A raccoon surprised by an attack can turn on the dog or person; they're good fighters and well armed with tooth and claw.
It is possible that someone has been feeding this one, making him expect help from humans.
And, checking the photos, I discovered another possible reason for his tameness. His left eye is damaged. Half of it seems covered with a scar or scab, and there is tissue damage around it. In none of the photos was the flash reflected from that eye. Whether it's blind or not, I can't tell, but it's probably painful.
He may be desperate for food and water. I've put out a bowl of water for him. That's all I can do without endangering him more.
Poor raccoon. It's always so sad to see a wild critter with an injury. Are there any wildlife rescue places there that would assist with a capture and rehab? Not sure anyone does it for raccoons, but it sure would be nice. Water is a safe thing to offer.
ReplyDeleteRobin Andrea, I wish there was someone we could ask for help, but unfortunately, the animal rescue people would not be able to track down the coon unless we had trapped him. Our cedars are part of a wildlife trail that reaches from the forested, block-square vacant lot across the street, through pedestrian pass-throughs, a treed schoolyard, a ravine, and on to Burns Bog. He could be anywhere, minutes after I'd seen him.
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