Raccoons are one of the few animals native to North America, although they have now been introduced to Europe and Japan. I saw the following Raccoon twice on Wildlife Drive at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. It calmly crossed the road to go get a drink in the marshes.
Raccoon drinking.
Once done, it headed back, aiming straight at my car!
Raccoon
At the last moment, it swerved and walked among the reeds, sniffing here and there. I lost sight of it for a few minutes, and put the camera away. Then I almost jumped out of my seat when it reappeared right under my car window. However, it continued walking back in the direction it came from. I was too stunned to take any picture.
Raccoons can be a predator to Ospreys, and I did notice that some Osprey nests which had birds incubating are now devoid of life. I wonder if the above Raccoon had anything to do with it.
Great photos of the little fellow, Hien! Fortunately we don’t have Raccoons here on the island…with so many Osprey nests around.
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Thanks Tiny! Do you have anti-predator guards on your Osprey nest poles? In addition to Raccoons, they can also deter snakes.
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Great pictures! I have never seen one except in the Zoo.
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Thank you for visiting and commenting!
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He is a handsome fellow. As you already mentioned, Raccoons have been introduced here (Japan), and unfortunately, they have interfered greatly with the natural eco-system that was in place. Sadly, many of the them are seen as ‘pests’ by the communities. I think they are very beautiful.
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Raccoons adapt readily to the many environments they find themselves in, including urban areas where they sometimes live in house attics and then become quite an expensive nuisance. Thank you for commenting Takami!
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Thank you for your reply!
When I studied in the States, one of the flats I stayed in did indeed have a ‘resident’ raccoon living in the attic. I’m sure it was difficult for the landlord, but I thought it was so cool 🙂
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The cycle of life can seem cruel but raccoons gotta live too! Nice photos.
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Sad but true. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
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We have raccoons living in a tree in my backyard, which I managed to photograph. I did not know that about osprey, though. No osprey nests nearby, which is a good thing. Great photos, Hien.
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The EBF Refuge put a metal guard around the post supporting an Osprey nest, to deter raccoons and snakes. However, they haven’t done the same thing at the other nests. Thank you Lois.
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This is a great picture.
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Thank you. Glad you like it!
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