Baby raccoon named Bub goes viral after harrowing journey: 'He symbolized a lot of what people are feeling right now'

Social media is no stranger to viral baby animals, and in Belchertown, Mass., the internet's latest sensation came in the form of a rescued baby raccoon named Bub, according to the Greenfield Recorder.

On June 9, when a local resident called about the soaked, sad critter hiding out on their front porch, Belchertown Animal Control and Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation came to the rescue.

"The resident sent me the picture of how the baby was, and I was like, 'This is critical, because this baby is brand, brand new,'" Belchertown Animal Control officer Sarah Byrnes said, per the Greenfield Recorder. "I knew I had to get a clear message to whoever the rehabber was going to take this baby, that I needed to show them exactly what this baby looked like."

Byrnes recorded on her phone as she visited the baby raccoon, which immediately stood tall on its hind legs upon approach. She later shared the "scary and big" pose it tried to impose on social media, and it captured the hearts of thousands.

Pic from the Belchertown ACO… was not gonna take anymore raccoons, but well…. How do you say no to this guy?
Posted by Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation on Saturday 7 June 2025

The increase in wildlife and human interaction, as seen in this rescue, is one of many unfortunate side effects of the changing climate and expanding human territories. When ecosystems lack the resources to sustain wildlife populations, and habitats are lost to development, wildlife are forced to occupy more urban spaces to survive.

In the case of Bub, the four-week-old raccoon was starving after being abandoned by its mother, and so it likely approached the porch where it was rescued in search of food and shelter. Amelie Dricot-Ziter, founder of the Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation, rehabbed the animal for months with the goal of releasing it back into the wild.

Major media outlets, from People Magazine to the New York Post, picked up the rescue story of Bub, and even Stephen Colbert mentioned the cute critter on The Late Show.

"I think he symbolized a lot of what people are feeling right now, and knowing that he was going to be rescued and he was going to be okay, I think he made people happy," Dricot-Ziter explained, per the Greenfield Recorder.

But as cute as the critter is, Dricot-Ziter also reminded fans of Bub that it is still a wild animal, and that rehabilitation should be left to the professionals for the safety of both humans and animals. For those looking to support more baby animal rescues, donations can help these organizations have the most positive impact.

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?

Definitely 👍