Finding a home in New York City is no easy feat, even if you have four paws and a striped tail.
A woman filming in Central Park recently captured an unusual daytime scene of a raccoon family emerging from a tree hollow to check out the commotion outside, as PetHelpful described.
What's happening?
Digital creator Mickey Blank (@mickmicknyc) took to Instagram to share footage of the cute raccoon family checking out their neighborhood.
In the video, a mama raccoon appears first, slowly climbing out through an opening in the trunk before settling just above it. She pauses there to look around as joggers and bikers pass by, seemingly unaware.
A moment later, two of her cubs pop their heads out of the same opening and take a look outside for themselves. It is an uncommon sight, since raccoons are more often active after dark.
"This might be the most adorable thing in Central Park," Mickey wrote in the caption. "One of those magical New York City moments we'll be talking about for a long time."
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Commenters on Instagram also delighted in the moment.
"Probably like $2600 a month," a user joked while alluding to out-of-control apartment prices in the city.
"She has a one bedroom apt and still making it work," another commenter observed. "God bless you mama raccoon."
Why does it matter?
These natural pockets can offer food, cover, and nesting space for animals trying to survive in densely built environments.
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Healthy urban habitats provide animals with safer places to rest and raise their young, reducing the likelihood that they will be involved in more dangerous conflicts with traffic, pets, or buildings.
Unfortunately, these incidents do occur sometimes. An overzealous raccoon had to be rescued in Little Rock after getting stuck in a dumpster. Similarly, in Toronto, a raccoon in a grocery store caused a ruckus when it started latching onto a customer's legs.
What can I do?
Ultimately, you may encounter raccoons in many areas. Sometimes, they might find you unwittingly if you try to help out another local animal, or if they get into your trash.
The best move is to call local animal control if necessary, or let the animals operate in peace if you see them out in nature, as Mickey did.
For her part, the creator was doing the responsible thing in protecting the cute family from too many visitors. In a comment on the post, she revealed she wouldn't be sharing the location.
"This mama and her babies deserve some peace and quiet, so their location is staying off the record," she commented.
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