ARE YOU SURE? - Perhaps the raccoon is not orphaned after all. It could be wandering while momma raccoon is sleeping or gathering extra food. Perhaps the mom is in the process of moving them to a new den.
the best thing to do may be to leave it alone, and see if the mother raccoon will come get it.
MOM IS BEST - It's true: people can save baby raccoons, raise them, and release them back into the wild. But this is not the natural way. The best thing for a young raccoon is its own mother, keep that in mind.
BOX THEM UP - If you're sure you have an orphaned raccoon or litter of raccoons, the humane thing to do is to attempt to save them, and bring them to a rehabber. Wear gloves, place
the animals in a cardboard box with a warm water bottle or
heating pad and blanket or towel. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED THEM. They can live a very long time without food, but the wrong food, like cow milk, could possibly kill them.
KEEP THEM WARM - It's very important that any
orphaned baby raccoons be kept warm. A raccoon's normal body temperature is 101-103°F, but babies do tend to run a little cooler than that.
Smaller orphaned raccoons often have subnormal body temperatures because they have little hair. Warming them is important, particularly if they are cold. But they must not be warmed too quickly, or to too high a temperature - that
could kill them! A warm water bottle or heating pad, set on lower settings, is best.
BRING IT TO A LICENSED REHABBER - The most
responsible thing at this point is to bring them to a licensed raccoon rehab facility. They have both the licensing and the tools/experience to care for the baby raccoon correctly. Click our link here - local rehabbers to find a list of
wildlife rehabbers in your city or town.
CARE FOR IT ON YOUR OWN? - We do not recommend that you attempt to care for baby raccoons yourself. It is too difficult for amateurs. In case of emergency, we have some raccoon rehab care tips here,
but the best thing is to bring them to an expert - a licensed rehabber.
MAKE IT A PET? - I know your Uncle Billy had a pet raccoon, and said it was the best thing ever. The truth is that keeping a raccoon as a pet is irresponsible and possibly dangerous.
Read about pet raccoon.
THAT'S ABOUT IT - A rehabber is best. We have written more of the same info below, which you can read if you wish, but if you are absolutely certain that the raccoon is
orphaned with no chance of mom
coming back, a rehabber is the best way to go.
What To Do If You Find An Abandoned Baby Raccoon
Baby raccoons will generally spend most of their time in a nest or den with the mother, especially for the first few months after birth, but there are occasions when the mother does go out to forage for food, or the baby manages to find a way out of the den. Baby raccoons are also more active during the day than adult raccoons, and it is possible that a baby raccoon has just ventured a short distance away from their mother sleeping nearby.
The problem with an orphaned raccoon is that it does require very specialist care, so for those who do find an abandoned raccoon and would like to help, the best way to do so is to try and ensure that the kit is reunited with its mother. Intervening too quickly to try and help the baby raccoon can often do more harm than good, and can prevent the mother from recovering her baby.
Try And Reunite The Raccoon With Its Mother
In many cases, the mother of the baby raccoon will be nearby, so if there is no immediate threat to the animal, the first step should be to retreat to a safe distance to see if the mother does come looking for her kit. It is vital to avoid any sort of confrontation with the mother as raccoons are known to carry diseases such as distemper and rabies, and in most cases the mother will do anything to get back to her offspring.
If the mother doesn't come to recover her kit, and there are no immediate signs that she is injured or has been trapped nearby, it is still possible that she will come looking for her young, which is still the best result for the baby raccoon. It is best to leave the baby raccoon overnight if possible to see if the mother returns, but to ensure they are comfortable, you can place a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to ensure the baby stays warm, and place it in a basin or bin that it cannot escape from. If it is raining or the baby is in strong sunlight, try and place some shade over the animal but still leaving it open enough to be recovered by its mother.
Should You Feed An Abandoned Raccoon?
In a word, no. For the vast majority of households, they will not have the kind of specialized food that a baby raccoon will need, and in many cases the things that most people will try and feed a baby raccoon may cause a lot of harm. Cow's milk should certainly be avoided as this cannot be digested by baby raccoons, while even the kitten and puppy milk replacement mix can cause damage to a baby raccoon if it is dehydrated.
Recovering And Transporting The Raccoon Safely
Having given the baby raccoon's mother several hours, or preferably overnight in order to recover the animal, if the baby is there, then it is time to take action. Find a suitable container in order to transport the baby raccoon, such as a kitten or puppy cage or a basin that can be covered. If you have been keeping the baby raccoon warm with a hot water bottle, replace this with a fresh warm bottle wrapped in a towel. While there are some vets and wildlife rehabilitation specialists that will come to collect the animal, the most important thing is to get the raccoon to the right care.
Find A Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist To Care For The Baby Raccoon
There are individuals and groups located across the United States that can help an abandoned baby raccoon, and for most people finding a nearby licensed wildlife rehabilitation expert can be done by searching online. There are also lists of the qualified individuals and groups held by many veterinarians and animal control officers, who should be able to point you in the right direction to find a suitable place where the baby raccoon can be cared for. The reality is that the vast majority of people will not have the equipment or suitable food to keep the raccoon alive, and despite the fact that these babies are terribly cute, the most important help you can provide is to take the animal to your nearest wildlife rehabilitation expert.
For effective ways to solve a raccoon problem yourself, or to find local help, click the below buttons:
