Rescued Baby Raccoon Learns How To Swim With Dad | The Dodo Wild Hearts

Watch this baby raccoon learn to swim with his human dad 💙
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[@leenahusa1806]

I really don't know why raccoons have such a bad rep. They are freaking adorable and so damn smart! Thank you for saving this little bean ♥️

[@dariusvalentin5579]

True❤

[@taminy2051]

Ever had a racoon in your attic? Then you know. They are horribly rude subrenters.

[@theweatherisaokay4964]

@@taminy2051 🤣🤣

[@AurioDK]

They steal, ruin and otherwise mess with anything which isn´t absolutely nailed down firm in your yard. It´s not a malicious intent, they are curious, mischievous and will often not take no for an answer plus the fact that they will pretty much be like many animals, if you give them food once they will see you as a provider. They are not evil and I prefer racoons to pigeons any time of the day as guests.

[@camez2345]

Raccoons are the #2 wildlife carrier of rabies after bats, so people don't want them around for that reason. Plus, they carry distemper, which is a horrible, horrible illness for which there's almost no hope of survival -- and that's for a cat or dog, who a vet would actually treat. For raccoons, there's none, because generally speaking, wildlife rescue places aren't going to save a non-threatened species that's considered a pest (they are capable of home damage, like that other guy said). So if you have a family of raccoons living uninvited in your garage, you do not want your dog -- or your kids or yourself -- anywhere near that. I would say to do a youtube search for a raccoon with distemper video, but it's heartbreaking, truly. I agree that raccoons are cool and adorable and smart, but they are nevertheless a threat, unfortunately

[@e4t662]

My mom adopted a baby raccoon when I was 11 years old. That raccoon followed me around like a dog for like 10 years. Best friend I ever had.

[@belarte7063]

They sell them as exotic pets in Russia

[@pinkpaisley4520]

You were the perfect FOSTER parents for him. You knew from the start he was only a temporary family member and you gave him all the love, nourishment, care and most of all LIFE SKILLS needed for him to be released into his natural environment - truely selfless - what an amazing family you are. You have given Smokey the best chance of living happily in the woods where he was meant to be. Thankyou for putting his needs above your own (something rare these days) x

[@turokmakto9033]

He is a family member that travels instead of staying home, I hope he comes back and stays close

[@ItsJustLisa]

I came to say the same thing. Smokey is a very lucky boy

[@gbaker9295]

I disagree. Both should have survived

[@paul_wiggin]

are you sure he got all skills needed? think about it: how much do you know about skills required to survive in the wild? The most important thing he missed while being at temporary family - how to deal with dangerous animals. He had no experience with dogs, wolves, foxes, bears and other.. His mom may had experience they needed to learn who to be afraid of and hide. But with humans he learned not to be afraid of someone as big as wolf. Human and wolf is not the same, but you got the point - humans can't teach everything required.

[@paul_wiggin]

i hope i`m wrong and Smokey is doing great. I`m just not that optimistic about peoples confidence when it comes to nurturing wild animals and preparing them for wild life - we are not wild and know almost nothing about it.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

Sometimes, when I've had enough of the things that are happening in the world, I turn to The Dodo to bring hope and joy back into my life

[@lindaaspromonte1514]

I identify strongly, Carlos.

[@entubadao]

Ditto !

[@lainy7740]

Same

[@dorothycharles5368]

Thanks for taking care of Smokey and teaching him how to be on his own.

[@carolynvines2027]

I think this is the best process I've seen for getting a wild baby prepared for being released into its natural environment. Awesome! I love what Cindy and her husband did with and for this furry baby.

[@davidryan6112]

Hi

[@kudabear4898]

You two did a GREAT thing with Smokey....you did everything right to keep his wild instincts instilled in him so he could survive on his own....BRAVO TO BOTH OF YOU!!!!

[@Volyren]

I'd argue that situationally, the reverse is also true. I've got a little coonie couch buddy who loves being inside, watching tv, and whipped cream and popcorn. He is a *wild* raccoon. He just decided one day that getting a granola bar on the back porch was not enough, and invited himself inside. He's been very respectful of my stuff. Plays with the cat, occasionally steals toys, but brings them back. So every night, i let him in, give him a treat, and chill with my fuzzy buddy. Then he goes back outside and goes about his raccoony life. He has tried to bring his possum pal inside before, but the possum ain't having it. He likes to be petted, but he only ever comes in if its storming, and stays by the door. Theres 2 other raccoons, but they are satisfied with the free granola bar and then theyre off. Stumpy just decided it was *his* house too. 😋

[@suzannehall5143]

Thank you for saving him. You gave him the best start possible. Hope he lives happily ever after in the wild.

[@linmiller8147]

I'm sorry the other little raccoon didn't make it, but I'm very glad that these nice, patient people helped Smokey.

[@greggroberts2317]

I have a raccoon that climbs a tree limb outside my window and watches netflix with me lol. One of these days I'm expecting him to tap on the window and ask for the remote. He's so dam cute I can never tell him to go away.

[@randomthingsforeveryone5903]

_"I turned my backyard deck into_ _a giant playpen"_ Thank you for the effort you put in to ensure that he was comfortable 🙏❤️

[@-.im_just_a_person.-]

Aww I respect this soo much ..

[@rpittillo]

Such a cutie. I loved how Smokey slipped down the rail and then upside down to the ground, lol. ❤️👏🦝

[@clam371384]

You guys are the best foster parent, i would not have been able to let him go, no way!

[@AmandaTroutman]

Let me never have to rescue a wild animal. I don't have the courage to let go. I would love them like my own flesh and blood. Thank you for caring for Smokey and letting him go!

[@GDeNofa]

@Commie Hammer that’s my worry too. Say he hasn’t found enough to eat and he comes across people. He would connect them as food and security and there are folks who would not treat him as well; might think he’s sick to go up to people and get shot.

[@TraceurDoc1]

@Commie Hammer Exactly! I don’t get this sentiment. If you raised an animal, you’ve already tamed a wild animal. While it is a wild animal, It will still have a severe disadvantage in the wild! You’re better off releasing it near your home so it can live between both worlds.

[@wilfredjurassicyes]

Me too, they would become a part of the tribe.

[@thecasualatvguy617]

Hey if you get em ready for life and they live nearby it's cool just leave snacks. Critters love my compost pile

[@wawawillegers4991]

You are very right Sailor. I personally would do the same. I would not let Smokey leaves however for the sake of her nature (born free) we have to release her. This family did incredibly the best of best for little Smokey 🌹 Have a great day. Greeting from animal lover vegan and love nature 💕

[@ralphstephan353]

The day Smokey met this kind, resourceful couple was the best day of his life, the life he wouldn’t have had otherwise.

[@its_so_edna]

I know he is wild but I would miss him so much. He's so cute.

[@mikec.8556]

I’m sure he was stressed after they disappeared on him . Let’s not forget they raised him from young . Makes u wonder is parting ways healthy ?????

[@brickguts]

@@mikec.8556 Yes it is, don't humanize animals because they aren't humans. Normal raccoons would be raised by their mom and then they would eventually part ways with their mother and live on their own, so no it will not cause a lot of stress, they're meant to handle it

[@deborahb7284]

Smart 3 months with Smokey. Good for you to let him be wild. Maybe he'll visit you someday, I've heard of that happening.

[@gd.523]

Aww. I hope he finds a group of raccoons to be friends with. He’s so used to interaction, I don’t want him to be alone

[@bostondangler134]

Same 😭

[@magicmotoislove]

People who foster/rehabilitate wild animals have such huge hearts 🥺 for them to give so much care and love to animals who will eventually be released is such as selfless thing to do. You guys are amazing!!!

[@homecooking5]

So cuty baby raccoon thank you for helping them❤👍

[@MrJohnblaine]

Rescue people have hearts of gold and titanium.

[@exposingproxystalkingorgan4164]

Raccoons are very smart and can learn all kinds of things.

[@AzlianaLyana]

Such precious little animals. Thank you for taking care and letting them return to the wild 💖

[@karenwoods1421]

Awe they grow up so fast 😢 I don't know if I could let them go

[@shaelinbecker2420]

Smokey is so cute 😁

[@spiderliliez]

Good decision you kept him outside. I think he learned faster because of that.

[@bitsnpieces11]

I have cousins who lived out in the country and have had raccoons as pets since they were young, they would play with them outside and feed them. As they approached puberty they would get more independent and stay away longer until they would only come around every few months or so, always friendly.

[@NikkiGRocks4Ever]

Great job on taking care of Smokey. He is going to have a happy life thanks to the caring people who rescued and raised him.

[@dekotahrunninghorse9372]

What a heartwarming video! Thank you for taking such great care of this raccoon. Thank you for sharing this beautiful video!!! 😍

[@susanmulvey6311]

Thank you for saving him, but I couldn’t let him go! Not completely, I go back everyday to check on him! 😃

[@davidryan6112]

Hi

[@lindaaspromonte1514]

What a great job! He is truly wild! That had to be a lot of work. Bless you

[@robertdaniels-lane7321]

The hardest part is always letting go; fighting that urge to look back. But it’s all worth it when you realize you helped give them a second chance at life 😁

[@MagdaGeorgio1]

You guys are great! Thank you so much for doing what you did for smokey! The time, the love, the dedication and commitment that you put in is so admirable, and appreciated! Thank you! May you be blessed 10,000-fold!

[@nikkinicole5588]

Look how cute.

[@urmelausdemeis4743]

thank you so much for getting this little sweetheart ready for the wild 🤗

[@CynthiaSchoenbauer]

And my thanks is for the gentle learning process and faith in his natural instinctual abilities to move toward what his curiosity and enjoyment would bring him.

[@itzcaseykc]

Good job acclimating Smokey to the wild and independence. You did a fine job.

[@ThePretender1]

So beautiful to see so much care for the animal! Congrats!

[@samw6048]

That must have been hard to let this adorable little creature go.

[@katgrey6239]

That's the way to rescue!!

[@mischa6127]

Perfect! That's the way to do it, when you're thrown a wild curve ball 😊

[@annetteallen5171]

Love this 😘

[@coleenmartin6936]

Hello my dear, how are you doing?And i must confess that your profile looks very good and so attractive, and it will really be a pleasure for me to have you as a social friend here, just because i will really love to be chatting with you, but that should be if my social friendship is really accepted by you

[@mimmipiggast2243]

How wonderful to see such smart people rescuing an animal, understanding that it's not a pet. ❤❤❤

[@btetschner]

Thank you so much for helping Smokey. You did such a good job! What a beautiful raccoon! I hope Smokey does well.

[@golork3267]

I have a feeling he'll be visiting you every so often. Racoons are one of those animals that don't forget. Especially if they know a good spot for food and safety.

[@us-Bahn]

You did a really good job teaching him to be independent.

[@alfredbonnabel7022]

God bless you for saving him and giving him a chance for a life 💙

[@lyndseybradley4498]

Fabulous people you are xx

[@adelebrigittehartl3566]

Menomale esistono ancora persone che amano i Animali grazie ❤️❤️❤️

[@bsanders2396]

Thank you so much for taking care of Smokey. I have always loved raccoons.

[@magietagie]

💖💖💖

[@jujubee7351]

You both did a wonderful job being foster parents , great video.

[@kimb868]

You are amazing my uncle was a cop and rescued one in the late 70’s he was so cute he did not release him though we loved him but it’s better for them to love a natural life!!!! ❤

[@rondashelton6561]

I'm so sorry that 1 didn't make it, this baby is absolutely precious. Bless y'all

[@mikec.8556]

Don’t you think he was stressed by not seeing the people that raised him ???

[@donaldfletcher7183]

U R an amazing couple--thank you for saving him and training him

[@wingnut2893]

You've just restored my faith in humanity. Thank you 😊

[@malkaringel7864]

I love racoons. I live in the city but they pass by & eat cat kibble. I've had baby racoons come inside my apartment & it looked like a tornado hit the place!! My cats don't bother them & vice versa. Their paws have all their tactile sensors....I think all creatures are lovely. Better than people, any day!!! Thanks for sharing & caring,❤️

[@ellenwinter9591]

Bless this little soul.

[@rg1whiteywins598]

Thank you for putting him back in nature. Please people, don't keep wild animals as pets. There are more than enough cats and dogs in shelters that will make wonderful companions.

[@luedanger561]

I've thought about keeping a raccoon but it's a wild animal. It belongs outside in the wild no matter how cool they look. I'll try to friend one up tho 😆

[@mailie6403]

What an incredible act of unselfishness. I would have struggled to let him go.

[@dustytavera7162]

Your story is so magical..I love raccoons❤ we have a family of 3 that comes to our neighbors home, bc she has lots n lots of fruit tree plus she has some cats so there's always kibbles out in the backyard. But they normally show up in late July n then their gone in Dec. It's a trip bc our neighbors have all kinds of different trees n they always make a din in the same tree ur after ur n this has been going on for st least 10yrs now. So to watch them up close is priceless. We would at nite feed them cereal n Banana or other things so they got use to us. I too could not just let them go after 3mon6of caring for them. But u guys r a blessing, esp7aftet he loss his sibling. Who knows don't be surprise if he shows up at ur place again.❤🙏🤞

[@MLIrons]

I pray little Smokey has found himself friends and a mate and is living the best wild raccoon life he can live.

[@sonneversets3530]

Yrs ago I lived w/a couple roomies right at a docking area at the bay to the ocean. One found a baby raccoon pretty weak in some brush. Left it till the next day, thinking maybe mom would be by. Nope. So brought ‘Rocky’ up to our 2nd floor back deck & we made an area for him w/fresh water & food, bricks, rocks & branches. One of us slept in a lounge chair the first 2 nights w/Rocky. He seemed OK & stronger after eating, so we just left him there, always making sure he had 2 big bowls of fresh water & food. 1 bowl was for him to wash in, & wash food in, if he wanted to. They are clean animals who like to bathe themselv & wash for before eating. He was great to watch doing both! A couple of us worked at a seafood rest, so lots of good leftovers came daily for Rocky. He was very friendly w/us. And during the day, would be sleeping, or come out to connect w/us, sitting in the chair or being wrapped around a shoulder. We didn’t tell ppl he was there. A few who knew, he was wary of, so that was good. He would hide, or vacate. He never went inside. After several weeks, he wasn’t always there during the day anymore. He was climbing up/down the deck & getting more independent from us. By sept, he just never came back. We kept leaving a little food, but it was rarely disturbed/eaten. We figured he had found a mate & had learned to be a raccoon on his own, from instinct. Which is what we hoped for. We missed Rocky, but we were glad he grew independent from us & was living his coon life elsewhere. We left the apt late Oct, & he had not returned in a month by then. So, the Summer of ‘Rocky’ was a fond memory. We all have pics of him w/us as a youngster, enjoying our company as he grew up on our long deck, at the inlet/bay. ♥ Rock on, Rocky!. 🦝🦝

[@melisabonc8510]

you did such a good job! i bet he is happy and free

[@lolanfred1ianuzzi130]

Well done! OUTSTANDING job that you did with Smokey....

[@entubadao]

The pain of separation must be overtaken by the knowledge of what's best for him. God bless you both ! 😇

[@antifaschi7869]

Not sure, if it was the best for him. He was cared for from a very young age by these people and he had a nice place outside the house, as it seems. The wilderness is hard and the lifespan of a raccoon is about 2-5 years due to all the dangers, while they can get a lot older as a "pet".

[@karen_3]

that “put in the box and weigh a screen on it with rocks” was such smart idea. would’ve never thought of it !!!

[@natas2350]

His trust of humans could easily be his demise,I would let him live with me with total access to the forest,I'm not a racoon so how could I possibly know if being left alone after being raised by people is the best decision

[@mikec.8556]

I agree with you 100 percent finally someone with realistic thoughts

[@mikec.8556]

Smartest , Most realistic post on this thread

[@iwasglad122]

I know it's the right thing, but I must admit I really couldn't do the letting go. Watching Smokey walk away would've broken my heart.

[@wilsonrawlin8547]

IMO you guys did an outstanding job to get him acclimated back to the wild. That being said. I think it is up to the animal if they want to be in the wild or live with you. Domesticated dogs can go feral faster than you think. That doesn't mean that is what they want vs living with a human. That means it is what they have to do to survive in the wild. Not to say that most wild animals should live in the wild. That is their nature for the majority.

[@shaymylahanif5701]

Smokey is sooooo adorable,sliding down was too cute 😍

[@coleenmartin6936]

Hello my dear, how are you doing?And i must confess that your profile looks very good and so attractive, and it will really be a pleasure for me to have you as a social friend here, just because i will really love to be chatting with you, but that should be if my social friendship is really accepted by you

[@stanleyhall6801]

😢...😢...😢 Smokey take care blessings on your journey

[@raidonbay]

You are bringing some smiles to my mom's face for the morning. 😁❤😸 sharing is caring

[@j4y77s]

You've beautiful people ⭐️ my first cat was called Smokey ,, you have put a smile on my face for the day 😊

[@thestones8022]

thank you.......I'm.teary eyed, but they are better off free; I hope...

[@konsejitos]

And Smokey gestured "Text Me" as they walked away.

[@mujkocka]

They make the cutest bubbly sounds

[@TylerDurden-rh6hu]

This lady really did a good job.

[@usatrooper5045]

Thank you 😊👍

[@jamespisano1164]

Great save! Wonderful job!

[@loritouma5899]

How adorable.. the babies…

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

Thnk you and God bless

[@Nana-Opa]

Raccoons can turn mean as they age. Here in rural Pennsylvania , I end up feeding raccoons and possums with the feral cats. We rescued a few weeks old coon and took her to the wildlife refuge. We had named her ducky. Ducky was rehabbed back to the wild with 6 others.

[@Bigtim2you]

What nice people you are!

[@coleenmartin6936]

Hello my dear, how are you doing?And i must confess that your profile looks very good and so attractive, and it will really be a pleasure for me to have you as a social friend here, just because i will really love to be chatting with you, but that should be if my social friendship is really accepted by you

[@SuperZekethefreak]

I've seen groups of racoons destroy houses really quickly when someone left the front door open, and I've seen a huge group of them chase people. But individually, they can be a lot of high-energy fun.

[@amberstamp1965]

How precious

[@mariedecosta3859]

Des petites canailles !! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💖💖💖💖

[@FloodExterminator]

Smokey is so adorable 🥰

[@melodyedwards6178]

Awesome story

[@glenjohnson9302]

I miss my baby racoon.

[@ellen5603]

Ewoks! The Moores were so kind raising Smokey and, even more important, giving him his freedom when it came his time to go. Reminds me of that Andy Griffith episode where Opie raises three baby birds and when they're ready, Opie releases them and they fly away. "The cage seems kinda empty, Pa," Opie says. "It sure does, son," Andy says. He looks up and listens to the three birds singing in the branches above them. "But don't the trees seem nice and full."

[@coppershark1973]

Thank you for caring. Beautiful people 😘

[@susanbutler2498]

Love & hugs from NZ! : )

[@yousee66]

What an amazing experience! 😁🦝

[@steelman86]

I did the same thing with two orphaned baby foxes. Kept them in a small cage feeding raw hamburger and eggs to them and a week later to an animal rescue who released them successfully into the wild a few weeks later after it was determined they could forage for themselves. The vet said I had done everything right even though I really had no idea what to do!! The female liked being picked up and petted but the male would make a growling sound while i would do the same with him but he never tried to bite me. The vet was amazed that I used my bare hands to transfer them from my cage into theirs saying he had never seen that before! Really cute little guys!!

[@mesapdarecriminals0integri563]

Such good parents that I wish I knew where they lived so I could go get lost outside their house.

[@ModeloLoveMeLongTime]

Very smart of them to keep him outside while he grew and was getting ready for release so he stayed wild and didn't get domesticated and become a coach potato that wouldn't survive outside alone.

[@michaeldevaughn68]

You are AMAZING people ❤️❤️❤️