Ruthie The Raccoon Is Back 2018
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
Canada
May 5, 2018 9:23am CST
Good morning. This morning my husband said Ruthie (the raccoon) was out sunning herself. I haven't seen her yet this spring and I grabbed my camera and went outside. She was there but not showing me her face, I took a few shots of her back side and went back into my sun porch. Then I opened the door and closed the door (metal noises) and Ruthie turned to see what the noise was...and I got her photo...
She (probably not the same Ruthie) shows up every spring and she has her babies in that hole in the tree and then she moves them down into the ravine when they are big enough. We've only seen her move them out of the hole once, we think she moves them at night. The early morning we saw her moving them it was raining.
So interesting watching a racoon living for a while in our tree.
20 people like this
20 responses
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
5 May 18
Raccoons are basically nocturnal creatures.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 May 18
You are right, that is when they are seen the most. I happen to know where she has her babies and look for her, most people would not look up in that tree to see a raccoon but there has been one in the tree having babies every year we have been here.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112888)
• El Paso, Texas
8 May 18
That is the smart thing to do @PainsOnSlate Do they go through your trash cans?
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
@rebelann They try but all of us in this area ( near the woods) have a trash can that can't be opened by kritters... now, if we had bears they could get into it but we don't have big wild critters, so thats not a problem.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
They are fun to watch, but still wild so we don't incourage them to stick around with foood.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
5 May 18
May be it is the same raccoon.So you got the face on photo by sort of tricking it.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
8 May 18
@PainsOnSlate Yes,that may be why it did not run away.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
@silvermist That and the fact she if a hundred feet above me and I can't fly...
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 May 18
I think there is a new raccoon every spring, perhaps one who was born in that tree. and I did get her to look at me by tricking her. But I am no threat to her and I'm sure she has seen me before.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471573)
• Switzerland
7 May 18
@PainsOnSlate They are funny, I have seen several YouTube videos.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
17 May 18
When we were looking for our last house, we found this one on a ravine that is huge and will never be built on it because its government land. Lots of nature is right there in my back yard. Love the privacy..
1 person likes this
(congrats. 
)@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 May 18
She was huge from the back but looks small in the face. I don't think she had her babies yet by the size of her body. She stayed out all day in the sun. I looked today and no Ruthie yet...
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20255)
•
9 May 18
@PainsOnSlate Some of those creatures have a very fluffy body with a tiny head.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
12 May 18
Raccoons are very smart creatures. Glad you were able to get a picture to share with us of Ruthie.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
15 May 18
I enjoy watching her, I haven't seen here a a few days so I think she had the babies and or she moved them to the ground to grow up.
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
6 May 18
What a lovely raccoon ! I've never seen it with my own eyes.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
Its a cute animal but a wild one so we don't feed them or try to make them pets. They are cute to look at, though...
1 person likes this
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
8 May 18
@PainsOnSlate Very cute.Thank you for sharing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
2 Jun 18
It must be fascinating, I think raccoons are such interesting animals and rather pretty as well.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 Jun 18
I love seeing them in the trees, I didn't see her move her babies this time, hope I see it next year.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
7 May 18
I believe some come back, but every once in a while a different one shows up (face looks different, fur sometimes is different.) She is a long way up that tree so I only get bits of her to see from down below.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340511)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 May 18
@PainsOnSlate There are a few of our kangaroos I can recognise but not many. This one has a very distinctive face although I'd be hard put to describe what it is. It's something about the expression that is different from the rest.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 May 18
You might get your chance - I had no idea Alberta was without raccoons and I found this info...
Skip to content Skip to search Skip to footer site map Alberta Environment and Parks Site Navigation by Section Breadcrumb Trail Government of Alberta links Search All Web Pages PDF Word Excel Powerpoint Search all AEP About Raccoons Frequently Asked Que
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
6 May 18
@PainsOnSlate very uncommon. But that can change!
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
17 Jul 18
@PainsOnSlate
I do not know much about raccoons so thanks for that information.
1 person likes this
@Gita17112016 (3611)
• Trinidad And Tobago
26 May 18
If she is not a pet, then you have an interesting visitor. We once had some in captivity as we had a semi wildlife zoo. Do you know what do they eat?
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
27 May 18
They are wild where I live, there is a huge forest behind my house. I don't know what they eat but everyone on my street with the forest behind them has a "critter free" trash can - they can try to open it but they can't get into our garbage.
@stellarduchess (57)
• Philippines
14 Aug 18
That's quite a close encounter w/ a raccoon. Never seen one for real. :D
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
15 Aug 18
They are wild and live in the woods, they usually are afraid and hide from humans, but so high in a tree and having a baby, they just watch us and ignore us high in the sky.
She had her babies in that hole under her in the photo. Every year we've lived here a raccoon had a baby or two or six in it.
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
9 May 18
We rarely saw any of the babies, only one time we saw the tiny babies being moved by momma, but one year there were a family of children that played in the trees (4 half grown Raccoons.) That was cute.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 May 18
I enjoy watching the squirrels too, I have a forest behind my house and often we see critters visiting us.
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
I've never been close to one, the tree is very tall and I only see her from afar.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 May 18
They are cute critters but can be a pest but so far we only see her when she is pregnant.
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
7 May 18
I've had some that looked older than this one. They do look alike, but sometimes their faces look different.
