What To Do If You Find A Baby Raccoon In Your Yard

Seeing a masked intruder on your property can be alarming — but if the mask wearer is small, fluffy, and calling for help, any alarm may quickly turn to care and concern. It's always possible to find a baby raccoon in your outdoor space, since even those trying humane ways to keep critters out of their yards may end up with an unexpected guest. You'll no doubt wonder what to do if one these young animals — also called a raccoon kit – shows up. There are several things you need to do to ensure the safety of both the small creature and yourself — and the first step should be contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to help the baby.

Very young baby raccoons can look like small kittens. Those that are larger, about the size of a football, can fend for themselves, so you'll only need to worry if you see a smaller one in your yard. While finding one of these fuzzy creatures can pull hard at your heart strings, it's important to remember that raccoons — though they are coming closer to being domesticated — are still wildlife. There can be serious risks involved when handling them — both for them and for us. These masked mammals can sometimes be infected with rabies or parasites, so avoid interacting with them as much as possible.

If you can't reach a wildlife rehabilitator right away and need to handle the baby yourself, make sure to put on thick gloves before you start your rescue mission. But first, assess the situation — inaction may be best. The mother may be in the middle of relocating her young, so if the animal is safe, leave it alone, watch from a distance, and wait. Whatever you do, don't try to trap and relocate the kit out of your yard, because this popular raccoon control method is bound to fail. Ideally, you should give the mom one night to come back for the baby.

If the animal is in a safe location away from roads and pets, you can carefully put it in a box to keep it protected while waiting for the mama to find it. Being extra careful with this step is important — if you are bitten or scratched, the creature will have to be euthanized and tested for rabies, so you can see why it's better to let a professional do the job. If you have to act on your own, for added safety, you can create some distance between yourself and the baby raccoon by using a shovel to gently lift it into a box. To keep the kit warm overnight, put a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel in the box, or use a heating pad turned on low.

If you find a baby that is both mobile and larger, 10-inches long or more, a box won't contain it. Instead, you can cover it with a laundry basket and let the mom retrieve it later. She'll be able to tip over the basket with no problem. Whether you use a laundry basket or a box as a temporary shelter, don't try to feed the baby raccoon while you wait for professional help or for the mother to return, as this can cause more harm than good.

Hopefully, the mother and child will reunite and your involvement will be limited. But if the kit's mother doesn't return, you'll need to contact a wildlife rehabilitator or country wildlife officer who will know what to do to care for the animal. Baby raccoons may be cute, but they don't make good pets. And no matter what you've seen on social media about families adopting these animals, it's actually illegal to keep them in most parts of the U.S. To prevent upsetting events like this from reoccurring, you may want to take some expert advice for keeping raccoons out of your yard — such as keeping pet food indoors.