The raccoon, that's my life

Mummy, why is that so?

In the middle of a dense, beautiful forest, through which a small stream runs, there are countless different animals to observe. Birds, mice, squirrels, foxes, badgers, insects and many more. Among them also lives the raccoon. In an old oak tree, right by the stream bank, a mother raccoon has settled down with her offspring.

Life could be so carefree, because there is enough food such as worms, fish, crayfish, fruit, nuts, insects, amphibians, reptiles and mice. The relationship with the neighbouring animals is also very harmonious. But time and again humans appear, of whom the raccoons are afraid. Because they are armed with traps and guns and are searching for them. When a little raccoon cub asked his mummy why that is so, why they are not wanted here, why they have to be so on their guard, the raccoon mother sat down with her pups and began to tell them. 

„Many, many years ago, our ancestors were brought from North America, yes, back then we lived from Canada all the way to Panama, to Europe. Humans liked our fur so much. They wanted to make clothing from it, so they wouldn't have to freeze in winter. In 1934, the first two pairs were released into the wild, near the beautiful Lake Edersee, at Waldeck.“ 

„That's nice”, Hannes, the smallest one in the group, interrupted her. “Yes, that was nice”. She said and sighed.

„At first it was nice. For a few years they lived happily and contentedly in freedom, started families and lived carefree from day to day, because they found plenty of food and great sleeping spots. Unfortunately, this went too fast for the humans. They hadn't thought that we would feel so at home in the new home they gave us and settle in so well; we are, after all, very adaptable«. 

„But that's what they wanted, wasn't it”, Ida asked uncertainly.  

„Yes, Ida, but sometimes people don't know what they're doing, they think about their actions too late. After a while, they decided to take our lives away from us again. We had become too much for them. Until 1954, we were even under nature protection, which means we were protected. No one was allowed to harm us. But that was sadly over again all too quickly.«

„Do you think we all have to die, Mama? That we'll all be gone from here soon«? „Oh no, Ida«. The mother laughed.  

„We raccoons have an incredible ability, we can offset population losses through an increased reproductive rate, not many can do that, and the humans probably didn't count on it. They won't get rid of us that quickly. We didn't choose to be here. We too have the right to live in peace«. 

„So that's our story«‚ Hannes shifted back and forth nervously. “No, our story goes back much further than that. All the way to the late Oligocene. Perhaps even further, but I don't know that for certain. Fossil finds from that period were made in France and Germany, the first representatives of us small bears. Oh yes, there are even written records from Columbus, the discoverer of America. He already reported on us back then. I've told you before about the Algonquin, a tribe of the native peoples of North America, whose chief was Powhatan, and his daughter Pocahontas. Do you remember«? 

General nodding.

„Back then they called us ahrah-koon-em, which means roughly 'the one who scratches with his hands‚. The Spanish call us mapache, meaning “the one who takes everything into his hands, so you see how well known we are. And not just us, our abilities are widely known too. But that's enough now, the others are already waiting«.

The meeting point 

After the little family had walked through the forest for a while, Hannes stopped at an old tree, took a run-up and dashed up the trunk, twisted his hind feet and dashed back down the rotten trunk head first. “Did you see that» he calls out, completely out of breath.

„Very good, Hannes«, says the mother.

„Only a few mammals our size can climb down a tree head first. Until recently you couldn't do that yet, so you see how quickly you're all learning, I'm proud of you«.

„Mama, where are we actually going» asks Jan, as he sprints along a narrow, densely overgrown path. 

„If you didn't run so fast, I could explain it to you“. „But I heard we can run 24 km/h, I wanted to try that out«.

„Oh Jan, you still have a lot to practise then", says the mother, laughing. "We're meeting the others now, I told you that earlier. Ida, Leni, where are you two? We need to hurry a bit«.

At last the family reaches the meeting point. All the other bears are already there. All except Heidrun. 

„Where's Heidrun, then", asks the bear mother, surprised, looking around the group.  

Nobody knew where Heidrun was just then.  

„Either she's running late or maybe she overslept«. calls Karin, shrugging, while already chewing on a blackberry.  

„But then we'll just leave her a message“.

"Tell me, Mum, why is it that there are almost only women here and hardly any men", asks Leni curiously. 

„You'll learn all that in time. It's like this…" the bear mother begins to explain, while gathering a few acorns to give to her children. "Let me explain it to you in the words of Stanley D. Gehrt and Ulf Hohmann, the two behavioural researchers — by the way, this shows once again how interested some humans are in us. These two men call it a three-class society. Female animals, like us for example, meet regularly at shared feeding spots, like this one, and at sleeping places — we do that too sometimes with Aunt Renate and Helen. That's called a fission-fusion society. Males who aren't related to each other simply live together in loose groups, often up to 4 animals, a so-called male coalition. Adult bears can become aggressive towards unrelated cubs, and that's why we often steer clear of other bears too. I'd rather be extra careful«.

Drawn in by her mother's spell, Leni doesn't notice that she's popping one berry after another into her mouth, chewing away wildly.  

„Slowly, slowly Leni, you'll burst if you shovel any more into yourself. You weigh only a fraction of me, I weigh 6 kilograms and my stomach holds just 150 grams, which you've almost reached already. By the way, 150 grams is roughly only about 2.5% of my body weight». 

Leni ignores her mother's instruction and asks: „That means Jan and Hannes will also leave at some point and live with others instead of with us» frightened by her own question and scared of her mother's answer, she chokes on a berry and has to cough loudly.  

„Now now, it's not all that bad. Besides, all of that is still a while off. That's just the way of nature, and we have no influence over it either, even though we're counted among the most intelligent animal species in Europe. We females usually all live together, or at least nearby. The young ones eventually go their own ways. But sometimes they come back for a while too, for instance when a cold winter is approaching. Only once they're 4-5 months old can they — and you and your sister — survive without me. So for now let's just enjoy our time together. Go on, go and play with the others, we'll have to head off again soon“. 

The Encounter 

Time flew by once again. Summer came, then autumn and winter, and then spring returned. The children were already grown up and had gone their own ways. The rutting season in February, when the male bears migrate into the females' territories, was already over, and the raccoon mother was busy setting up an old, abandoned fox den where she wanted to give birth to her cubs. She loved this time of year, because now there were insects, worms and beetles to find again, which tasted good to her. Yes, fruit and nuts, which she mainly eats during the cold seasons — calorie-rich food — also tasted very good to her, but she always looked forward especially to this time of year. She was lost in thought when suddenly she heard a noise behind her. She was startled and got ready to attack, to defend her life and that of her unborn cubs. But what was this? She had certainly never seen anything like it here before. Every now and then, when she moved towards the village to see if there was anything tasty to eat, she encountered dogs from a distance. But she had never seen one so deep in the forest and so close. Dusk was just beginning to fall, night was closing in.

They looked at each other without saying a word. They studied one another, watching each other's body language.

After a while, the dog asked, “What kind of creature are you? You have such a hunched posture when you walk. I've been watching you for a while. You've got 6 black rings on your tail, a funny black mask on your face, shaggy grey fur, you're about the size of a cat, only a bit fatter I think, you walk on your soles…”.

„Anything else?» the bear interrupted him.

“Yes, your front paws look like a hand, your hind paws look like a child's foot, and your hands look somehow leathery… I've never seen anything like this before”, the dog replied.

That was the last straw for the bear, and she shouted, “Now listen here, dog, my black facial mask is very useful, it means the sun blinds me less. My grey fur is water-repellent, I'm bigger than many cats, in fact we can grow to 70-85 cm long. I haven't been fat for a long time. I weigh 6 kilograms, others can weigh up to 10 kilos and some even up to 20 kilograms, and my hands are also very useful. They have a thin layer of horn, which can soften in water, allowing me to grip things much better. Fish, mussels or crayfish, for example. You have none of these useful things at all. I am a raccoon, in old times also called a Schupp, surely you've heard of that before«, she gasped angrily and furiously. She would have loved to growl and scream in a frightening manner, that's what she does in an aggressive mood, and she was certainly angry right now, but this dog wasn't worth it and besides, she didn't want to attract attention, because her fighting sounds could be heard from very far away.

She turned around to keep working on her birthing den, because by April it would already be time. But she watched the dog with one eye. He lay down in the grass at a safe distance and watched the bear too. Night had fallen, the first stars appeared in the sky and the moon had risen. Slowly the dog grew restless, for he had lost his way in the forest. He had just been looking for the path to the village when he came across the bear. He knew he wouldn't find the way. So he summoned all his courage and asked her „Say, do you know the way back to the village? I'm sure they're already looking for me«.

The bear slowly turned around and asked „You want me to help you«? „Yes, I'm sorry, I've just never seen a raccoon before. Can you help me«?

The bear pulled herself together, for she still had quite a bit to do that night. „Alright then“, she replied „I may not be able to see well, but I can hear and smell all the better for it, and my memory is excellent. By the way, I can hear loud sounds up to 85 kHz, but also very quiet sounds, namely 50 kHz, so I can even hear earthworms burrowing underground. With my nose I can orient myself brilliantly at night, even over long distances.“ 

„Now I'm really amazed», said the dog, genuinely astonished.  

„What else can you do» he asked.  

„Have you ever heard of Davis«?  

„No”, the dog replied.

„H.B. Davis was a behavioural researcher. This just goes to show how interesting we raccoons are. He confirms just how clever we are. We can decipher complex mechanisms in no time at all, no matter how they're arranged. What's more, we can tell the difference between, say, 3 or 4 grapes in a container. Our learning speed is even compared to that of rhesus monkeys. Now you're speechless, aren't you», she asked, visibly proud.  

„Indeed", the dog replied. "Not bad".  

„But now then, I'll show you the way back to the village. Follow me«.

Where are they? 

After 63 days, the moment had finally arrived. The bear had once again become a mother to 3 wonderful babies. They are still so tiny, weighing just 60-80 grams. Their eyes and ears are still closed, and their facial mask and tail rings are not yet visible. A soft down covers their bodies, only the belly is still bare. Time will fly by, and they will grow so quickly. Already in the 2nd week, they weigh 150-250 grams; their eyes and ears are still closed, but the down is already turning into light fur and the mask is slowly starting to appear. While the cubs snuggle together safely in the den, the freshly made bear mother goes out at night in search of food.

After the exhausting birth, she needs to regain her strength and needs enough milk for her young. After 3 weeks, the eyes finally open, and the fur has already covered what was previously the bare belly. The weeks flew by, and the cubs have already reached their 6th week of life, now weighing a proud 800 grams.  Now the time is slowly approaching, the bear thinks nervously. Soon we will leave the den together, and they will get to know the big, wide, beautiful, but also dangerous world.  

It was a beautiful evening with a clear sky when the four of them went on an outing together for the first time. Little by little, they became bolder and more eager to explore.  

One morning, tired from the night, the mother bear lay down to sleep in her den while her cubs were still playing outside. Driven by curiosity, they wandered further and further from their mother's den, crossing the forest until they reached a road. They were startled. They had never been this far from home before. Everything here was unfamiliar. Strange smells, strange sounds, and suddenly they appeared. The humans!  

A family with two children was out for a walk in the forest when they came across the bear cubs. Cautiously, the little ones approached the two-legged creatures from the side so they could observe and take a closer look.  

„Oh dear, what is that?», the woman asked her husband anxiously. „They're all alone here, without their mother, and still so small. Shouldn't we take them with us and help them?»? 

„And what would we do with them then? We have no experience raising raccoons«, the man said worriedly, furrowing his brow.  

His wife replied:„But we can't just leave them here, there must surely be sanctuaries that would take them». 

„You know perfectly well how difficult the situation is with raccoons here. No sanctuary will take them. In the end we'll have to call the hunter, because we'll have no other option left and no one will take them in«, the man objected. „But there are animal welfare associations that won't abandon these poor souls. I'm calling them right now«, the woman said desperately.  

The woman on the phone was the chairwoman of a local animal welfare association. She thanked the family for not looking away and explained that young raccoons are often out and about during the day, while the mother sleeps through the day so she can nurse her cubs at dusk and go out to search for food. She asked the family to please wait at a safe distance or come back to the spot in a few hours and get in touch again.  

Just before the call ended, one of the children had already reached for a young animal, which was startled and let out a loud squeal. The mother bear woke up with a jolt.  

Wasn't that one of her children? she thought, filled with worry.  

The whimpering could be heard 100 metres away. Full of panic, the mother ran towards the whimpering. Where were her children? Was everything alright, or had something happened to them? She ran and ran and ran. Towards the smell and the sounds. There they are. Her children. Her children with humans.  

When the pups noticed their mother, they ran towards her to seek shelter with her. Together they went back to their safe den.  

That should have taught them a lesson. 

Many thanks to the author, Luca Remmert.