Teaching orphaned raccoons how to forage

Every pet deserves a loving and respectful home: please only consider acquiring a pet if you will be able to take care of its long-term needs. Also, consider choosing your animal companion from a shelter, where there are so many wonderful furry friends who need a forever home.

In this video, we follow wildlife rehabilitator Nikki Christian as she uses treat-filled, plastic eggs to teach orphaned raccoons how to forage for food.

Native to North America, raccoons share a common ancestry with bears, and they originally lived in forests close to waterways. They are omnivores who eat a wide variety of foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, eggs, insects, frogs and crayfish, using their dexterous paws to forage for morsels from small hiding places.

Though highly independent and solitary creatures who hunt at night, raccoons have learned to coexist with people, given how humans have occupied the vast majority of their traditional habitat.

View the original video here.

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