A Raccoon Experience – Out & About
“Now somewhere in the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota …
… there lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon” … Thankfully, we only had to travel as far as Telford, England, to meet our own raccoon.
It wasn’t the Beatles song though that made us want to visit one, but rather our dad, Papa Rudi, who has been sending us possibly every raccoon video on the internet over the last few months.
Ever since he had watched one ride a tricycle on YouTube, he has declared them his favourite animals. So when it came to finding the perfect birthday present for him a few weeks ago, a little Google search had us strike gold: A Raccoon Experience! Some dads want a watch, a nice tie, maybe some aftershave … not this dad ????
We found a zoo that rescues wild animals and besides also keeps raccoons, skunks and raccoon dogs – all of which you can meet on a special tour. So naturally, we had to buy some tickets and on Wednesday we finally went to our “meet & greet” with these fluffy rascals.
We thought we’d film the day, not only for us as a way to remember it but also so we could cut together a little “Out & About” vlog for you guys, something we haven’t done in a while.
If you are from North America, you might view raccoons or even skunks in a different light. Maybe you’ve been fighting a war over your trashcans with them. But it’s hard to imagine anyone looking at these fluffy faces and not find them adorable ;-).
Stay groovy!
Mona & Lisa
I love these guys so much. I used to have a community of them (and an equal number of foxes) who would come to my back door every night. My most regular raccoon visitors were Ernestine (neighborhood favorite), Charlie Chaplin, Ming the Merciless, Mr. Wrestling#2, and a mated pair, Rudy and Sweetie.
I made them stand up on two legs for treats, so whenever they saw me they would politely stand up and walk to me, which never got less funny. Sometimes I’d be talking to a neighbor and they’d join the circle, hoping the subject would turn to treats for them.
Once the cable guy was working on my line out back and he called me in the house, asking me to come out for a question. When I did, Charlie Chaplin was standing right next to him, and his (nervous) question was: “Is this normal?”
I’ve never seen or heard of a raccoon dog. Interesting. What were the small animals with the porcupine? Raccoons around here can be a menace indeed. They wreck bird feeders and get into garbage. Still they are entertaining and quite intelligent.
Porcupine cubs! Amazing! Aren’t they cute, without any spikes.
In Finland we have plenty of raccoon dogs – no raccoons (yet). No skunks definitively.
Greetings to papa Rudy!
Hannu, Thanks for the reply. We have porcupines around my area in Wisconsin but I’ve never seen any young ones, thanks.
How wonderful! Forgot that I hadn’t seen the video all thru before– very special day for you-ens! That’s a western PA. expression (where Dana’s from). Yes, raccoons do tear up abandoned houses, as they did to my grandparents farm in Ohio; nonetheless, lovely, right? Thanks! Interesting that you both named the skunk as your favorite. T’wasn’t necessary, y’know. 🦨🦝🐖🐆🦉 ✌️
Yes, both are adorable. But, it is true in North America that they will turn over small garbage cans that we keep outside the house and make a mess of it in search of food. Also, I had a run-in many years ago with a wild skunk that did not end up well for me. But, they are cute to look at and pet in a zoo setting. In the wild it could be a different story.
Thanks for sharing this never been to this zoo before, but think I will be now love the racoons and skunks. Great video
Thank you for sharing! Loved it. Never knew there was raccoon dogs! Many years ago I had a friend in college who had a pet skunk. She named him Horatio! Yeah, raccoons have a bad reputation here in the states, but they sure are cute!
We didn’t know raccoon dogs existed either, they’re originally from East Asia apparently! We knew someone from the US who also had a pet raccoon, and she told us he’d unscrew her contact lense cases and eat the lenses. We never forgot that story! Crazy rascals, but so cute!
Yes Lisa that’s a funny story! They certainly are cute little buggers! I’m happy that your Papa had such a nice day with those critters!
I ‘ve watched this one 15 times. Can’ t get enough of it. Really, really cute!!
Absolutely love going out and about with my favorite girls and their awesome family! There are so many endearing and heartwarming moments. Papa Rudi and his childlike wonder and enjoyment; Michaela escaping from a swing from the raccoon; Lisa having to stop for the sheep; but my favorite was how sweet and beautiful Mona was with the skunk and taming the cat. That’s a very cool place to visit – many thanks to the wunderbar Wagner family for sharing!
That is so much fun! Here in North Carolina (I live next to many acres of woods) we have lots of raccoons, we keep our trash secured, so they are not a problem. Sometimes we put food out for them. Here’s a video from my back window. I had one hand on the camera and the other with the flash light, so it’s not the best filming, but the little guys seems to be having fun.
A happy belated birthday to Rudolf!
https://youtu.be/9wOXoDmL5Ck
Meerkats are also so interesting to watch. In Argentina, my cousins always had a pet skunk. They are the sweetest of animals.
Great outing!
Great shot Tomas! Looks like a baby and it’s mother, and then later the 3 of them. They are such incredible climbers, hanging upside down in the tree, can get into anything. Raccoons look like they are wearing wrap around sunglasses, ????, like a pair I use to have. Was watching some videos of baby porcupines, they are cute and look funny with their training quills, but are much nicer than the combative one Mona and Lisa fed in the video.
Thanks Jung, yes, it seems to be a mother with 2 cubs. They were around for a few days. I was surprised at some of the thin branches they were climbing. ???? I think they’re awesome.
That video is too cute, they don’t seem to be bothered by the light at all, peacefully munching away on their little bench. 🙂
We never heard of anyone having a skunk pet but after meeting the one at the zoo it makes perfect sense, she was so gentle and cute. Thanks for sharing that!
That was such a thoughtful, though unusual, birthday gift. I had not heard of raccoon dogs before. Here in the U.S. raccoons have become a problem in many areas as pests, getting into people’s garbage, as well as that of businesses too dumb to keep their dumpster lids closed. Rabies is also increasingly common among raccoons here. If you go out into the wild and see footprints that look like those of young children, they are probably those of a raccoon.
It was really nice for you to share your family outing. Real cool. Many moons ago when I saw a raccoon for the first time, it was walking across my front lawn very late at night and it was a little creepy & scary. Then years later, I was leaving cat food and water on my front porch for an outdoor cat and some nights I would see raccoons eating the food. It seemed like they would like to dip the food in the water and then eat it. The water that was left in the bowl would be very dirty in the morning. One night there was a whole family of raccoons on my porch – it appeared to be a mommy, daddy & some babies.
That was living in New York. When I was living in California, I also left food & water on my front porch for an outdoor cat. One day when I opened my front door there was a skunk near the food. I closed the door really super fast. I did not want to risk getting sprayed by the skunk lol. Thank You for the video Bobby S.
Wow !! what a cool ride.. and special gift to Papa Rudi, I like raccoons too they are a lot of fun, it’s always good to “be with you” on your rides and adventures I just love these “out and about” videos.. last week, like the previous ones, I worked a lot.. I’m very busy ., Thank you dear girls for this wonderful post from MLTClub.. and Stay groove.
You turn “home movie” clips into a very smooth flowing documentary with a catchy soundtrack. I find it interesting where you place the song clips. “I think I get it, but I haven’t got a clue.”
I have to say I have never seen a raccoon dog before. I thought they were deformed raccoons. Evolution has it’s way. Raccoon sightings around here are usually just an occasional raccoon sleeping on the side of the the road. That reminds me we have a friend who doesn’t eat meat much, because his father used to serve road meat when he was younger. Ooh! That’s a fun fact he doesn’t share too often.
We see a LOT of deer, and an occasional bear around here.
https://youtu.be/7XGFbj6Q2-k
Thanks for sharing your big day with us.
JP
Was Lisa actually eating that feed, or was it a clever slight of hand?
JP, that looks like the black bears we often get around my area. Last winter just before hibernation, found a bear in my backyard late at night. Apparently it grabbed a bag of garbage from the neighbours house behind us, and decided to climb over the fence and devour the garbage in the privacy of my backyard! Oh well, it was fun to watch anyway, despite the mess the next morning I had to clean up.
Oh wow, there’s a black bear in your back garden! Thanks for sharing that clip!
Deer were also very common where we grew up in Austria but we don’t see them often here in the UK. It’s mainly pheasants and the occasional bunny or fox when it comes to wildlife here where we live … certainly no bears!
What a wonderful day.
Raccoons and skunks make great pets.
As long as the skunk has had the glands removed.
Anywhere here in America where it’s hot – if you are about to find a dead skunk in the road you can tell from a mile away. It can be brutal.
Another fun video – and happy belated birthday to Papa Rudi.
I have a friend who’s uncle had a raccoon pet, but most people know them as mean rascals. Some people here in the states have also had skunks as pets, scent glands removed of course, like the one you were holding was I’m sure.
We have a few raccoons in the wild here in New Mexico, USA, but we also have two raccoon relatives: the coati (or coatimundi). and the ring-tailed cat. I saw coatis once in the wild. I had no idea what they were; it was like some creature out of “Star Wars”. I’ve only seen one ringtail, and unfortunately it had lost a run-in with a car. They are cute looking little things, but nocturnal and very shy.
We have had lots of skunk encounters here – the rule is: skunks rule – they go where they want, when they want. I’d hate to be an animal control officer trying to catch a skunk.
Thanks for bringing us along on your fun family outing.
Beautiful birthday present for your father! Liked seeing the Meerkats.
When Little Bear was wrestling with Papa Rudi, I noticed how gentle the raccoon was with his teeth, play biting so softly. Looks like they can make a good gentle domesticated pet. I liked his name too, kind of looks like a small version of a bear.
Love those racoon dogs. They remind me of my chubby lil’ beagle!
Very nice day for papa Rudi! Yes here in America raccoons are a pest and often trapped, they get into garbage and make a mess out of everything. I haven’t seen any around my house but I know they are in our area. We have more troubles with Woodchucks eating our gardens, undermining our house foundations, etc.
Great to see you folks again! Fridays take too long to get here now.
I love the German name, “waschbär” – the raccoon’s habit of washing their food is so cute!
Yes, there are lots of raccoons here in America. They aren’t really pests, unless you have chickens. They are fond of chicken meat… We have a few here in the suburbs, near San Francisco. They do sometimes raid gardens. On the other hand they eat the snails that chew up your garden.
I have been watching our fruit trees get there buds. The weather here is also up and down.
We went on a family vacation to the Black Hills of South Dakota a few years ago. Beautiful part of the United States. I don’t remember seeing any raccoons though.
When we lived in northern Nebraska, they use to get into our sweetcorn, made my Grand Mom really mad.
Looks like your Dad had a great time !
Very fun and interesting video again. Thanks for sharing.
Out-And-About with the Wagner family! -my favorite! Papa Rudi clearly enjoyed his racoon encounter – a very thoughtful gift from his beautiful daughters. My daughter and her family will thoroughly enjoy watching this, especially my 4 year old grandson “Kai”. Much of our time together is spent on nature hikes, going to zoos and experiencing the beautiful outdoors. Thanks for sharing!
Happy belated birthday to Papa Rudi. Thanks for sharing this outing – it looked like so much fun and was a nice gift experience. Yes, here in the states, they can be pesky nuances, but it was really nice to see a different side to them. Glad everyone had a great day. Best wishes for all the family to have some more nice days and time together…
Happy belated b-day Pa Rudy. You guys have some much fun during your outings – thanks for sharing them. I loved the background music especially the ‘No Worries Co,” one of my favorites from Orange. In the recent past, I owned two Walker Coon Hounds. Very beautiful and athletic dogs. They are bred for tracking “coons.” But since I am not a hunter, they were my best friends (kids). Now they are waiting for me at the “rainbow bridge.” Stay groovy. Peace be.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful day! So cool!
Thanks for sharing what looks like a fun day. I have never seen a raccoon dog before, are they native to the UK?
Here in the the US, raccoons and skunks are nuisance animals that also are common sources of rabies. Neither are good with your pets especially dogs. Raccoons in the wild typically get too mean to handle as they get older. Are neither species found in the UK or Austria? I am not familiar with most of the native wildlife in areas you have lived. We had a stretch of nice weather too but we have snowflakes flying today, but it will be warm and sunny in a couple of days. Typical Spring in Pennsylvania.
I really loved this video! Thank you for sharing it with us. That was so nice of you to do that for your Dad! That looked like a great day.
Wow, I never knew that there were zoos devoted to all the woodland critters that I was taught to avoid. But I guess it makes more sense than a zoo featuring animals that we normally interact with anyway.
Skunks always remind me of the dog I had when I was a kid, who never managed to go an entire summer without getting sprayed at least once. My parents had heard that the only way to get the smell out was with tomato juice. So my siblings and I were all enlisted to hold the dog still in a washtub while mom and dad poured a can of tomato juice over her, rubbed it in, and rinsed her off with a garden hose.
She was a tri-color collie, but for several days after that treatment one of the colors was pink. And the combination of skunk spray, tomato juice, and wet dog is a unique odor that I will never ever forget.
Mona and Lisa, Maddie is a animal lover and we totally enjoyed this video! She loved Meercat! I liked Little Bear myself but so cool to take a day and enjoy. You all deserve some time to enjoy the beauty of the world. This past Summer we took Maddie to the zoo and there was an area that she could walk in and pet some animals and we had a hard time getting her to come out and go home! LOL…..Thank you so much for sharing
That was such a fun video to watch. The Birthday Boy seemed to really enjoy the animals, and especially the Raccoons. I love animals. Mona seemed comfortable with them all. And they all seemed to love her. I loved them all too. Very cute animals. The only one I would be a little (lot) hesitant to get near in the wild is the Porcupine. (I am sure that the one there had had it’s quills removed.) But if you’ve ever seen a dog that has had an encounter with a Porcupine… wow! Not a pleasant sight. But seeing Papa Rudi, Michaela, and the two of you playing with the animals is a very pleasant sight!! ????❤????❤❤
What a great day for Rudi and all of you. We have a runoff pipe next to our property and one day it was raining so hard that 2 Raccoons came out of the storm drain and went into our tree in the front yard. I took pictures but I can’t find them. They are so cute but can carry Rabies, so we have to be careful in the US. Now we do have Prairie Rattlesnakes that I have held before, I almost became a Herpetologist in College because I was a boy that loved snakes. Raccoons are cuter. Glad you had a wonderful day out!!! Stay Groovy!
That was very enjoyable to watch, the family out together. I liked the skunk as he seemed to like your company.
We had a beagle a few years ago that got sprayed by Mr. Skunk down at the park when we were out for a walk. It was a long time before that perfume wore off. We tried everything.
Zoos are fun to spend the day at, we have one about a half hour away but we haven’t been there for years, maybe this summer now that you got me interested. There’s Marineland also not far away with whales and other marine animals and deer, haven’t been there in years either. Just across the border in Buffalo NY there’s a big zoo with elephants snakes of every kind, haven’t been there since we were kids. I shouldn’t be bored this summer, thanks for the idea . Happy Birthday Rudi! Great video Mona and Lisa. Hi Michaela.
That’s a great treat for Rudi. He does look a little apprehensive when waiting for the Skunk, however it’s good that you get to touch them (apart from the Porcupine!) and give them food. Here in Scotland we have a new Polar Bear cub in our wildlife park and he’s been named Brodie! Hope you enjoy the sun this week.
Hi Mona and Lisa, what a lovely birthday surprise to give your dad Rudi and thanks for sharing your video with us it is lovely to see all the little furry animals in the zoo, personally my favourite small animal would be the Meerkat. Looking forward to the new album when you get get it finished, I’m sure it’ll be worth waiting for, loving the early releases so far, keep up the good work and stay groovy ????
Love from Martin.
Hi Ladies, thanks for this lovely video! Last year I visited a game enclosure near Hamburg/Germany with my two granddaughters. We had the same fun with that bandits(raccoons) as you had. We should remember more often that this creatures have the same rights to live and they deserve our respect. It warmed up my heart when I saw how lovingly you treat that animals. It´s great that you´re there! With love Frank.
Hello Ladies,
I agree with Rick Twomey, I believe Rocky Raccoon Duo Session is forthcoming. Yay!
What an interesting and fun Day! I loved the inserted clip of Flower (skunk from Bambi) All the animals were so adorable.
We all found out something about Lisa, she eats Animal food ????. Even Mona was surprised.
Yes, here in North America, we are taught to stay away from Raccoons. We are taught they have RABIES.
I believe a wonderful movie Old Yeller was bitten by a Raccoon. Very sad at the end.
I’ve seen Raccoons from a distance, but have shied away from them. I’ve met a few people that have been sprayed by skunks. No thank you.
I’ve been to a few animal habitats where you can get up close to the animals. One in particular had the Bald Eagle. Beautiful bird.
Another was where you could walk among Deer and Black Bear. One bear sat in the tree watching all the people walk by.
Glad Birthday boy Rudi got to go see his favorite animal.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us Ladies!
Have a fabulous week!
Rick
That was indeed an experience alright…and seeing the raccoons reminds me of when one of my older cousins actually owned a couple of raccoons as pets, she enjoyed having them as her pets …
A lady who was in the same nursing home as Dad ( both her and Dad since passed on ) had shown me photos of her pet skunk, and, no, it was never descended, and never sprayed her …. and yes Skunks/Racoons here in Canada, aren’t overly looked upon as pet friendly, more like steer clear of them ….lol…. our dogs were sprayed by skunks, not fun…. my aunt who lived next door to us had a skunk family take over underneath the front porch one year , she was not impressed …
This Vlog of the Papa Rudi’s Bday Gift trip to Zoo was fun to watch, though I’d be hesitant on getting close as my allergies would kick in, and am not overly keen on seeing raccoons/skunks close up….lol but am happy you all enjoyed the adventure and you all are gifted Animal Whisperers in your own unique ways towards animals …
Thankyou for sharing the experience/adventure with us, very entertaining…. possibly any song ideas were inspired from this outing !?????????
Does anyone think there’s a ROCKY RACCOON Duo Session coming up soon ….it takes me back to my college days at Paul Smith’s in the Adirondack Mtns in NY State 1968-70 where I was a Forestry major…we all had animal nicknames and I was Raccoon because I really liked the Beatle song….I was kind of nervous when you were playing with that porcupine…you don’t want to rile that fella..those quills will hurt…..but a great birthday present for Papa Rudi and nice to see Michaela….Thank You for sharing❤️????
It’s a small world after all, Rick. My Dad is a Paul Smith’s graduate, about ten years earlier.????
JP
Oh that was so awesome and lovable! It was priceless to see “Little Bear” raccoon warm up to Papa Rudi and even wrestle with him, what a beautiful birthday present indeed! You are both so thoughtful. Amazing to see you holding those skunks, how often can you cuddle up with a skunk! Wow. I presume they “disabled” their spraying abilities! LOL! And that porcupine was quite something to see up close like that, and I hope his quills didn’t poke you Mona. It looks like the porcupine can be a bit combative. I don’t think I’ve even heard of a racoon dog before, very interesting to see.
When we moved into our place back in 2008, we didn’t know but a raccoon family moved into the shed next to the house, and one day I found baby raccoons in the snow tires I store in the shed, luckily the mother raccoon was out gathering food. For a few years the racoon family would come and stay in the shed during the spring and summers, and then I guess went up into the mountains in the winter. Raccoons are indeed so cute, and I think could make great pets. They are like cats I think, and very good with their front paws, almost like fingers, giving them great dexterity. I bet you could train them to do amazing things, like going into the fridge and bringing you food! LOL.
Thanks so much for sharing your trip to the zoo with Papa Rudi and Michaela, it was so fun to see and be able to come along on the VLOG with the whole family like that! I really enjoyed that.
Well this week, my work was very quiet, and so I spent most of the week going through technology videos to stay up on the product/technology knowledge, and not fall asleep in the process. It gives me some time to relax and go for walks. My job can be crazy busy for weeks, and then crazy quiet for weeks, so I try to enjoy the quiet when I can.
Again thanks so much for this VLOG, loved watching it. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Rudolf looked like he really enjoyed meeting the racoons. What a great idea Mona and Lisa! ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ❤
P.S. Lisa, I thought you were scooping up some ice cream out of the container, and it turns out to be animal food. Brave! ????
Wow! They were all cute. Especially the skunk! Looks like you guys had a great time!!
That was very enjoyable to watch !! I thought it was funny when Mona said “If you’re from the U.S., you probably think differently about raccoons” because my first thought was rabies. I will have to say you have broadened my horizon. Thank you for sharing!!
What a great video! “Happy Birthday Rudi”, whenever it is. I live in Kentucky in the US. We have racoons, bunnies, possums and deer around our house quite often. We live out of town a couple of miles with cornfields and woods close.
My wife and I would always go first to the petting zoo area if there was one close to where we traveled. We had a house rabbit for 13 years. Now just 2 cats.
We love animals of all kinds whether we can pet them or not.
Thanks for sharing this trip with me. My wife would have loved it.
Ah, a fellow Kentuckian! I was born and raised in Lexington, and graduated from UK. Pleased to meet you, Roy.
Hello David,
I was born and raised in the small town of Madisonville. It’s about 50 miles south of Evansville IN. I too attended UK back in the ’70s. I used to travel through Lexington every month as I had a customer on up the road.
It was sure nice to meet another Kentuckian while writing comments to folks in Great Britain. Take care and maybe we’ll talk again.
You are like little kids…all four of you! What a nice thing to do for Papa Rudi!
The smiles on your faces are priceless. This was a well-deserved break from all the work that you have been doing.
Unlike most of your music video days, you had great weather. It is so nice that all of you had a great day!
Thank you very much for this posting Mona and Lisa. All of you are the grooviest!