RANGE | Raccoons are native throughout the Americas (red on the map) but have been introduced to parts of Asia, the former Soviet Union and Europe, with the largest population in Germany.

FUN FACTS | Raccoons are prime examples of urban wildlife. They can certainly live in a wide variety of habitats but have adapted to survive and thrive among humans in cities and towns where food is more easily available and large predators are minimal. Their dark mask reduces glare- like eye black worn by athletes- and also hides their eyes so other animals cannot easily blind them in a fight. They are amazing problem solvers and their jaws have more than 8000 psi so can actually crush diamonds. These nocturnal omnivores can hunt but mainly scavenge, playing a critical role in helping to maintain balanced ecosystem that is free of carrion which spread germs and bacteria to healthy animals and humans. They can and will eat a wide variety of foods but quickly develop a taste for sweet and salty items.

While they have a strong sense of smell and taste, theory sense of touch is uniquely powerful. Almost ⅔ of the sensory part of their brain is for interpreting tactile information. Their paws are covered with specialized hairs so they can identify items with their paws. This covering becomes even more pliable when wet so will use their eyes to watch for predators and competitors while relying on their paws to search for, and select, food items.

When someone found Sylvie curled up in the corner of their backyard, she was only about a month old and barely alive.She was immediately brought to a local wildlife rehabilitation center where they quickly sprang into action to save her life. There is no way to know why or how she had ended up there- or how long since she last had any milk from her mother- but they did know that she was extremely dehydrated and emaciated. After she started the long road to recovery, it became apparent that she was blind. After repeated examinations by veterinarians and, eventually an evaluation by an ophthalmologist, it was clear that treatment was not an option. Her lack of sight was not the result of an injury- Sylvie’s retinas had simply never developed and she has no optic nerve in her eyes. Unable to find food or protect herself, she could not be released and would need a home. Finding a home for a blind raccoon is challenging but they were determined. They reached out to us and Sylvie became one of the wild teachers at WildMind.

Since Sylvie is blind, her other senses are especially important to her—especially touch. She loves to have her ears and shoulders massaged. She also loves to feel new textures—crunchy leaves, new toys, our shoelaces when we are cleaning. And most of all, she loves her pool! It is her favorite piece of furniture—any, and every, toy ends up being a water toy for her.

SPECIAL NEEDS | At this time, Sylvie has no diagnosed care needs. We do understand, however, that it was likely a deficiency of some kind that caused the reason for her sightlessness so other issues may arise as well.

Sylvie really seems to enjoy baby and toddler toys that are designed to encourage children to develop their ability to manipulate objects with their hands. Baby activity items where they lay are placed on the ground and items dangle above are especially interesting to her as are toddler toys with different shapes that move or make a sound. She has a kiddie pool in the indoor part of his enclosure that we fill with fleece blankets and stuffed animals.

In the outdoor part of her enclosure, she has a pool with water and absolutely loves floating toys. Heavy duty dogs toys that are waterproof are fun and so is a pool of full-sized rubber ducks!