The Reality of Raccoons - Hanya Awan

The rising concern of animal abuse has circulated an increase in awareness yet, little action is being initiated by both the government and the public population. Though raccoons are not labelled as endangered animals, the increase in abuse and harm has spiked populations in specific regions to decline and cause massive injuries, diseases, and impact. In some regions such as Cozumel, Mexico has faced a spike in specific species of raccoons to decline by a significant magnitude. In fact; a vital issue lies in the fact that there are only 300 pygmy raccoons left in Cozumel and are considered “critically endangered”. These species have traits and qualities that include the fact that these raccoons are almost half the size of ordinary raccoons and contain a unique red tail. Even though tourists feed these raccoons daily, it is not recommended to use these feeding techniques. For example, tourists often feed these animals stale chips and tortillas which do not benefit a raccoon’s diet or any animal’s diet in general due to the health risks and contamination involved. When individuals often carelessly scatter rubbish and waste, it not only contributes to more garbage and litter, but does not provide a favour to a raccoon’s diet or natural habitat. Furthermore, when these raccoons consume the toxic waste discovered in the wild, this results in the animals being further endangered and harmed. Raccoons are however not only located in Mexico, but contain several other habitats around the globe. They are in North and Central America, Europe, and Japan. Additionally, they typically create their own habitats termed as “dens,” in trees or caves, though they also create these homes in barns, abandoned vehicles, and numerous other manufactured locations. The constant garbage accumulated in the streets in all regions of the continents mentioned has created notable risk in these raccoons searching for a long-term habitat to provide for their family and to keep safe during the winter and harsh climate. It is vital to recognize the underlying issue that raccoons are not social creatures, unlike many other mammals that are fond of human interactions, thus creating more tension while finding sources of food and a long-term habitat that is not populated or surrounded by human activity. Sleeping during the day is a part of their nocturnal habitats. Although the raccoons appear to be outlaws of the outdoors, they tend to be very hygienic creatures. There are reports that they wash their food in streams and even dig latrines where they frequent regularly. The winter months are a time when they tend to sleep more often, but they do not hibernate in a traditional sense. To survive, their bodies rely on stored fat while they sleep. During the winter, they lose around 50% of their body weight, according to a study at the University of Michigan. The weakened bodies rely on a reliable habitat and area to provide warmth during the freezing winter months, which correlates to these animals being highly vulnerable and in need of maintenance in regions where garbage is common on the streets. It is estimated that raccoons consume more invertebrates than vertebrates, according to data from the American Dwarf Wildlife Association.

Among the raccoon’s preferred sources of animal food include frogs, fish, crayfish, insects, rodents, and bird eggs. However, due to recent human activity, raccoons are not above scavenging human trash or consuming roadkill when food is extremely scarce. A critically endangered species, the pygmy raccoon is classified as a critical threat by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The situation is severe for these species as there may be fewer than 250 mature pygmy raccoons remaining in the wild, and the IUCN estimates that the total population size is only 323 to 955, including juveniles. In addition to the endangered raccoon population, other species are not critically in danger, yet the treatment of raccoons remains a concern on all continents with raccoons. Overall; raccoons are not endangered significantly, yet they are a target of abuse, torture and mistreatment among tourists and civilians that carelessly feed unethical and low-quality food or litter on a regular basis that impacts their health. Works Cited “Are Raccoons Endangered? (Not at All!) – Floofmania.” Floofmania.com, floofmania.com/are-raccoons-endangered/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2022. Bradford, Alina. “Facts about Raccoons.” Livescience.com, Live Science, 31 Oct. 2015, www.livescience.com/52655-raccoons.html. “Raccoons Are Rapidly Spreading across Earth—and Climate Change Could Help.” Animals, 29 July 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/raccoons-expanding-range-climate-change. Twitter, and San Luis Obispo California Polytechnic State University. “Fall in Love with Pygmy Raccoons.” Treehugger, www.treehugger.com/fall-in-love-with-pygmy-raccoons-4862799.