Raccoons

THE RACCOON – PROCYON LOTOR

Wild animals that have been in captivity are especially difficult to rehome, and in most cases, habituated animals cannot be returned to the wild, leaving zoos or educational facilities as the only option. A raccoon named Milly has Washington State University veterinarians reminding the public to call a wildlife rehabilitator before intervening with orphaned or injured wildlife. To make matters worse, it is illegal to transport raccoons across state lines, so the only options were limited to centers in Washington state. 

Meet Our Raccoon

Milly

Milly was just a baby last summer when humans suspected she was orphaned and took her in. Rather than ensure Milly was truly orphaned and transfer her to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, the couple decided to illegally keep the raccoon as a pet. 

“She grew up into a full-size raccoon, as raccoons do, and then she started to get into trouble, as raccoons do; so, they reached out to us to see if we could find her a different home,” said Marcie Logsdon, a veterinarian at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  

Fortunately, Milly has found a space at Cat Tales, Spokane’s nonprofit wildlife center. Milly was very lucky to find a home as an educational ambassador, placements such as this are few and far between.  

“It’s getting warmer earlier this year and we are already getting reports of spring babies. We want to remind people who encounter wildlife they suspect to be injured or orphaned to find their nearest wildlife rehabilitator and call first before intervening,” Dr. Logsdon said. “And please, never try to keep wildlife, like Milly, as pets – it’s illegal in most states and often has a very sad ending.” She said it is easy to mistake a healthy baby for one that may be orphaned or injured.