This was an entertaining observation. It took place at roughly 8:30pm CST.
This Raccoon ran across the alley in front of my car as I was coming home from work on Wednesday night. After crossing the alley, he scampered up a tree, and climbed high into the upper branches.
I stopped, rolled down my window, and fumbled for my camera. I could tell right away that it was in a weird state. The setting were all wrong. I grumbled to myself as I struggled to make the necessary adjustments in the dark. I was sure I was missing my chance to get pictures of this Raccoon
When I finally had the camera ready I turned to look out the window, and was shocked to find the Raccoon staring me right in the face. While I was fumbling around he must have become curious at the sound of my voice, and come down from the high branches to investigate.
I was able to take several pictures of him at near point blank range. A couple of times he turned away as if he were ready to move on, but each time on a whistle or a word from me would bring him right back.
After a few minutes of this the Raccoon tired, and decided to continue on his way. He climbed down onto the fence, gave me one last look, and then followed the fence around to a corner of the yard. There he climbed down onto a trash bin, jumped to the ground, and then darted away between two houses and into the darkness.
What a big fat healthy looking sucker!
Oh, raccoons, raccoons. Such troublemakers, so irresistible. I have personal experience with home invasion stories of raccoons, from Cape Cod to Connecticut to Dallas … yet I find them fascinating and love watching them here in NYC. At least, living on the 6th floor, I no longer have to worry about finding raccoons in my crawl space or attic (as happened in Dallas) or gnawing through a kitchen screen to eat my English muffins (Cape Cod) or coming down the fireplace chimney to run amok throughout the house, leaving black handprints everywhere (also Cape Cod). Wily, bold, curious, adaptable, omnivorous. Sounds like us, doesn’t it?
I love this guy’s blatant interest in you. Do you think it was a young animal?
I love these guys too! What a shock it was to find this guy staring me right in the face. I could have reached out and touched him on the nose. Very funny. I wish someone was there to record my reaction.
I debated about whether to identify this guy as a juvenile or not. I think he is probably one of the three juveniles that have been visiting my backyard the last couple of months. If a juvenile, though, he is very nearly full grown. He must have been born early, early in the spring.