Samaritans Save Smokey and Bandit
This is Smokey and Bandit, two little brothers found by two good Samaritans in Mt. Pleasant, Janet Place and Lorrie Gunn. The two ladies who contacted our Keeper of the Wild Director, Janet Kinser, were very concerned because they had seen these two babies playing around and had noticed an adult raccoon hit and killed by a car in the road nearby. They put two and two together and believed it to be the mother of these sweet babies. They saw the two young raccoons often enough and alone that they became concerned and called Keeper of the Wild. They were able to catch one of the babies and turned it over to Janet for care. The other little guy ran away to hide in a nearby cemetery. However, the ladies would not give up and kept looking for the little brother. They spent hours in the cemetery waiting for the brother to come out so they could try to catch it. Finally, they got their chance. Wearing protective gear and taking precautions, in no time at all they caught the other brother, contacted Janet and later the two brothers were reunited. They are now being cared for at Keeper of the Wild together and will be kept together, and will be released together back to the wild when the time is right. Our thanks to these two wonderful, caring Good Samaritans who made a difference for these two precious baby raccoon brothers who lost their mother.
September 28th was a busy Saturday! First, attempting paddle boarding then catching a kit! That's a baby raccoon. My friend, Janet, is very big into animal rescue. She traps feral cats for the trap-neuter-release program and is constantly rescuing or fostering cats. Across from her home is a private cemetery. Had just settled down in front of the computer late that afternoon when I received a call from her for marshmallows and canned cat food. She was trying to trap a baby raccoon. A few days prior, she had seen a raccoon fatality on her road. It appeared that it was the mama of 2 kits that she had seen playing down by the curb and would run into the cemetery if they heard a noise. Her husband had successfully caught one a couple of days earlier by throwing a towel over it. As luck, or the Universe, would have it, the lady in charge of Keeper of the Wild (located in the St. Matthews area, about an hour and a half away) was in Mt Pleasant. She gladly took the kit and hoped that Janet would also capture the other as they needed to be together (she had 5 other kits that this one could join). When I arrived, Janet asked how long she had me and I said, for as long as you need. I had a feeling that it was in one particular group of bushes, but we scoured them all before settling down on one of the crypts. Then, she got a call from someone coming over to return a cat carrier. It was dusk when she left for her house to meet the girl and that's when the kit came out - from that group of bushes. A plant separated the two of us, and I crept up behind it carrying a towel, forgetting my gloves, I was so intent on that baby. He spotted me and ran to a pine tree, quickly scurrying up the opposite side. I grabbed him with the towel, hollering for Janet to "Come on! Don't let him bite me! Hurry!" He kept snarling and trying to bite me- which I don't blame him, poor little thing! Janet donned her gloves and, using another towel, helped me get him down (he really had a hold of that tree!) And, then, Janet drove all the way to St. Matthews to deliver him. The lady got in touch with Janet a few days later. Both kits were undernourished and dehydrated, but were given fluids and were eating just fine- they had even started playing with some toys that they had been given. Once they are old enough, they will be released back into the wild. That was one of the coolest things that I ever did.
