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docbevo β Poor Little Raccoon
Published: 2010-06-15 06:19:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 449; Favourites: 8; Downloads: 30
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Description
This is Rocky. He is the lone survivor of an illness that has swept through the city I live in (Bellevue, WA) that has wiped out most of the raccoons. Where I used to have 4 or 5 every night come to my deck and eat I now have only this one little fellow who barely makes it up here every 3rd or 4th night. My neighbor has seen him sitting in my yard during the day and I caught him this morning at the patio door before I went to work. I believe he was orphaned while very young and is fighting to make it. Notice how gaunt he looks. He loves grapes and marshmallows.You can see the video here... [link]
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Comments: 37
Quite the cool shot of this little bandit.
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This is the same one that you can see in the latest couple of pics I have - where you see the raccoon on the back deck and on the rail. He was very emaciated after a disease decimated his family in the area. 80% of all raccoons died during the summer months and this guy was lucky enough to hang on and eat until he is now back to full weight (and attitude).
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Wow... You're quite the humanitarian.
Shame about the blight on the raccoons though... 80% of all the raccoons gone? That's hard to believe!
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They talked about it on the news - said an outbreak of distemper was ravaging the wild raccoon population in Western Washington. I saw 5 raccoons regularly at my back door - then none for a month. Then this guy started coming back once every 3 or 4 days. Now he's here just about every morning.
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Damn! That's harsh on the poor raccoons!
I know it's probably just a product of nature, but still it's kinda sad...
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Yep - really sad. I felt like I was losing a pet. Which I kind of was. But I still have the one and he's doing well, now.
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Well, that's good to hear.
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he needs some joy (though i dont recomend tickling)
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I give him all of the joy he can handle in the way of dogfood, grapes and marshmallows.
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but i like da cookie
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Didn't I tell you that that cookie was no good for you?
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woah woah WOAH, caffeine is the LAST thing you need hamsquad
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Looks like what this guy needs IS some caffeine, and wash it down with some coffee cake, some doughnuts, some pie, some cake, some ice cream, some marshmallows, some cheeseburgers, some wildebeest, some elephants, some moose, some pizza...
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and some more cake
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He is doing much better now - he's eating and getting fatter and comes by regularly.
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Oh that's good that he's better. He looks pretty pitiful here.
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He was! I felt so bad for the poor little guy. These are one of my favorite animals.
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I like them from a distance. I hate to admit but I am a bit afraid of their claws and teeth. We have some REALLY big raccoons where I live in Stanwood. Some look like they are about 30 pounds! the ones by me must be dipped in nuclear waste like Godzilla was.
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I have had some of those "monsters" too - but they really are quite docile as long as they aren't threatened. They get rambunctious with each other at times (usually when squabbling over food) but they really are gentle and intelligent creatures.
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If you see yours again... it will be nice to see a photo of him healthier. Poor little fellow
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I am always watching out and setting out more grapes for him.
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I wish I was a raccoon in your hood. I like grapes too.
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Oh, poor one!!! He really looks skinny!!!
So cool he's around your house to get food... let's hope he makes it, with your help, Steve!
I smiled at your "Pepsi" shot... kids do little, or they do too much!
And the Jay is quite a character... he must have squirrels in his family!!!
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I have made it a personal mission to restore this little one's health and make his future a happy one. Now if only he would listen to me and take his vitamins! And wash behind his ears! And pick up his mess in the tree.
And that Jay IS quite a funny fellow, very smart and very cute.
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I am sure he senses that 
that he gets somewhat domesticated with time. That would be
so nice (youΒ΄d be like Snow White in the wood, with all those
animals and birds around you 
We donΒ΄t have JayΒ΄s here.... love the BLUE color of his feathers!!!
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That's okay, it doesn't matter where you are, something will be missing that looks absolutely amazing when you see it - and the people there take it for granted! For instance, there are Robins and Towhees here, and they have a little bit of red on them, but there are no cardinals here and I just love seeing the bright red! But people in the Southwest US act like they're no big deal. I'm sure there are some amazing things you have there that you don't give a second thought to that we would find simply amazing! (And I'm not talking about your spiders - nobody else would be amazed at them other than me)
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Hahaha! You are right about the spiders
But believe me, the birds I photograph are the very common ones.
My woodpecker is an exception (I had never seen one before and I was just lucky)...
My family can't understand that I spend hours taking photos at a family of "Ratoneras"
(a very tiny bird that lives near humans and sometimes is confused with a mouse (RatΓ³n) due to their permanent being at floor level). They eat insects.
I know most people act like common birds are no big deal. But to me, any bird is a delicate miracle and I love their elegance, jumps, little sounds and the beauty of their wings - even if they are plain brown!
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That's exactly how I feel! I spend hours watching and photographing them and most people can't figure out why. But they are indeed miracles! And are beautiful regardles of the way they look compared to other birds.
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I so agree with you. It's nice when people like us, friends for long,
share the same sensations and feelings about animals.
These special perceptions we have might do a difference for them.
At least, I like to think that.
We feed them, we leave water out for them, we pay attention so they are
safe... Even if we help only 1%, that IS a difference.
And the love we send towards them makes the rest...
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Except for rats and mosquitoes. We don't HAVE to be nice and admiring of rats and mosquitoes. Right? Because I am not going to be nice to them. But everything else is okay.
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I certainly don't admire neither hahaha! Nor am I going to be nice
to them!
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And I'm pretty sure that raccoons don't care for either of them - and whatever a raccoon doesn't like, I'm sure I won't like either.
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I agree.
Racoons are always right!
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That's disturbing. I hope the raccoons repopulate a bit in the future?
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Me too - I really miss having them coming around.
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