Baby Raccoon on Campus?

When I was walking home from my Yoga class this morning (at 11:00), there was a baby raccoon (about the size of a kitten) walking along side the sidewalk. It was totally calm and didn't care that any one was near. It was literally walking about 2 feet from me. We walked together for quite a while. I was fascinated by it. Do you think that something could have been wrong with it? It looked so sweet, like I could just bend down and pick it up (but I would never do that lol). Why would a raccoon be out at 11 in the morning? I live in East Texas and our campus has a lot of trees but not really any forest around?





I called that campus police dept and told them about it. Was that the right thing to do? I sure would hate for someone to get bite by it or for something bad to happen to it.Baby Raccoon on Campus?
That was the right thing to do. The campus police would have probably called animal control to come pick it up. They might look sweet, but a racoon out during the day is not a good thing. They are very prone to distemper, which makes them, among other things, disorientated.Baby Raccoon on Campus?
'Coons are also prone to carry fleas that carry ';the Plague';. They also might get rabies. Yes baby racoons are cute but man! do they bite hard. A good rule of thumb is if you see a wild animal, do not touch.
good for you!!





I would have called campus security but then maybe the human society or someone.... It probably got seperated from the mom... Poor thing.
A baby raccoon out at that time of the day is unusual, but not cause for alarm. What would concern me is the fact that it was alone. Raccoons usually travel with their mother and siblings until they are at least 4 months old, some for much longer than that. Something may have happened to the rest of his family.





He should be okay - he should be weaned by this time of the year. But I would not have called campus police. Some people panic, and think that every raccoon is carrying rabies or the plague...which they are NOT. They may destroy the animal to ';protect'; everyone on campus.





If you see a wild animal that is where you do not think it should be, or a wild animal that is obviously sick or injured, you should contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.鈥?/a>





These people are specially trained and licensed to deal with wild animals, and they will not destroy an animal unless it has injuries or illness that are too severe to sucessfully treat medically. They will care for a healthy orphan raccoon until it is able to be released.
That was unushall for a coon to be out so early they are nocturnal anamals.Rabies are common to coons.That one you saw mite not of had it but I'd keep my distance.There also is a possibilty that its mother could have died and the poor thing was confused.Back in the 70s when I was a child my father ran over a coon at nite and there was a baby on the side if the road.So he felt bad and took it home.We named him Nessie.when Nessie was small he was a great pet.He would get in bed with you and sleep up aginst your side all nite long.We had him for 2 years and the bigger he got the more wild he got he never bit us but he would climb up on the top shelf of the closet and he had a nest up there and if you went near it he would growl at you.So my father put Nessie in a box and let him go deep in the woods.


Maybee you should call the state game commision and they will come and catch it with out doing any harm and take it out in the woods someware.I wouldnot recomend trying to take it home with you or anything like that.