Exhausted raccoon climbs aboard a kayak and naps for hours in the tackle box

An exhausted young raccoon found an unexpected place to rest after swimming through open water: a kayaker's tackle box.

With an unlikely rescuer now handling the journey, the raccoon curled up among the fishing equipment after pulling itself onto the boat.

Here's what to know

Fur and a striped tail helped the kayaker recognize a young raccoon paddling a considerable distance from land, according to A-Z Animals. Before getting a closer look, he had thought the dark shape in the water might be debris.

The kayaker seemed intent on helping the animal reach land. Seeing how exhausted it looked, he brought the kayak closer.

Rather than stay in the water alongside the kayak, the animal climbed aboard and crawled into the tackle box, where he took a long nap. 

More background

A raccoon in the water is not necessarily an animal in need of rescue. A-Z Animals notes that these capable swimmers may travel across rivers, ponds, and creeks in search of food or new territory.

Exhaustion put the raccoon at risk whether or not sharks were nearby. The kayaker identified dark shapes in the water as sharks in the video, but the footage is not clear enough to independently confirm that identification.

Fish, crayfish, insects, frogs, and eggs are among raccoons' possible foods, along with corn, nuts, berries, and other fruit. That varied diet reflects their status as opportunistic omnivores, according to A-Z Animals.

What's being done?

By the time the kayak reached a nearby island, the raccoon was fast asleep. This was the kayaker's first destination after the animal boarded, and he seemed to intend to return it to land there.

Unwilling to leave the raccoon on the small island, the kayaker set off toward a bigger one. The kayaker planned to feed the raccoon a mullet he caught later, once it woke. He had kept fishing while the animal rested.

The sleeping passenger blocked access to some of the kayaker's fishing gear. According to A-Z Animals, the raccoon was still sleeping after roughly two hours, snoring occasionally. Eventually, the raccoon woke up, got off the boat, and scurried away on land. 

Where can I learn more?

Raccoons have a knack for turning up in unexpected places, whether they're in trouble or just settling in. These stories follow a backyard visitor and raccoons rescued from waves, a jar, and grates.

• A homeowner's hidden camera caught a raccoon leaving a backyard box nightly, easing fears she was trapped.

• In New York, beachgoers and lifeguards rushed to save a raccoon clinging above the waves.

• In Tennessee, a raccoon with a pickle jar stuck on its head prompted a tree rescue.

• In Ontario, drivers spotted a raccoon trapped in a highway grate, and police helped.

• Massachusetts crews brought a raccoon to a wildlife hospital still stuck in a grate.

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