Editor’s Note: The Northern Raccoon kits are part of the CROW CAW (Case A Week) series, which tells the stories of the patients at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island, the dangers they face, and how we can help protect all of our wildlife. Read previous cases here.
Fifteen Northern Raccoons are currently in CROW’s care. All are infants, requiring bottle feeds, enriching activities, and around-the-clock care.
CROW’s two youngest raccoons (patients #25-2519 and #2520) just received their first round of vaccinations. These specific shots will help the kits fight an assortment of feline and canine diseases, including distemper. Over the next few weeks, they will receive booster vaccinations to ensure their antibody levels provide adequate protection.
Due to maternal antibodies, some vaccines can only be administered once the raccoons are old enough and meet specific developmental requirements. In other words, the presence of the mother’s antibodies in the baby could interfere with the vaccination and prevent the baby from building its own immunity. These two will have to wait a bit longer before being vaccinated against rabies. They are scheduled to receive their final vaccines at the end of August.
These two male kits were brought in after the finder suspected they were orphaned. Although it can be challenging to determine if baby animals are truly orphaned (as parents may leave them alone for hours at a time while foraging for food), the finder hadn’t seen the mother for two days and brought the kits to CROW out of caution.
It is always best to keep a baby animal with their parents, as parents are the best teachers! However, when that is not possible, CROW can intervene. At CROW, the raccoons have regular tub time, where they can practice natural behaviors such as foraging and washing their food. Raccoons wash their food to increase the sensitivity of their hands, helping them better understand what they’re touching.
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