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| Mama Raccoon on the porch, looking for dinner. |
Crescent City is a very small town. There is no "down town" as such. Shops are spread out along a couple of main streets. There's a church of about every denomination. This is a rural area which rises between two lakes. While the homes of the original block are built in close proximity to each other, there is still plenty of room for possums, squirrels, raccoons, snakes, an occasional fox or bobcat, peacocks, sand cranes, sea gulls, and alligators.
For the past two or three months, a raccoon has been making the rounds to cat food dishes in the neighborhood, which are outside for the most part. There were two attempts to shoot the raccoon with a 22, but the raccoon was on a serious mission for this food and was not about to get shot. Most of us did not agree with this anyway - not to mention that discharging fire arms in this block is illegal. We all did, however, agree, that the raccoon had to go.
One day recently, the raccoon was on the porch. I had climbed the stairs and turned the corner. There was the raccoon at the cats' food dishes, eating away, seemingly oblivious to my presence. I stood there, calm and centered, watching the raccoon. Finally, it noticed me and was spooked.
Instead of running away, it looked up at me and we stared in each other's eyes for a moment.Then, off it scooted within one inch of my boots as it passed. I was convinced that this was a mother who had little ones waiting for her return. She was looking me straight in the eye, appealing to my own maternal instincts, I had no doubt
Sure enough, the next day, she was spotted, leading her babies to the nearby cat food bowls. They have grown past their gestation phase, and ready to face the world. . I was grateful for the nurturing mother archetype which has late-bloomed in my Soul.
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| Mama Raccoon up a tree, either scoping out the neighborhood for food sources, or about to raid a squirrel;s stash, or... |
Shooting her was no longer on anyone's agenda. The animal control person is no help at all. We, the neighbors are having to figure out how to gather up the family and take it to the "real" country where they can thrive and survive. There was still some concern, occasioning caution, that, since the raccoon gets so close, that she might be rabid.
I would say, EMPATHY HAPPENED, when Mama Raccoon looked into my eyes and I back into hers. Rabid or on a mission, this creature is alive and we are connected as One within this neighborhood.
Occasionally, we are reminded that creatures and people coexist in the same environment. We have the opportunity to share the space. This is a different perspective than one of eliminating all annoyances as they disrupt our plans and routines.
Will you share an encounter you have had with a creature,, one in which Empathy happened?
9 comments:
I loved the racoon story. Bless you for helping the neighbors to agree to share their space.
Love and care, Lynda
I want to know how close were you to that raccoon? I'd be shaking in my boots. Dee
There was an elusive skunk on our block that the animal control officer tried (in early Spring) to catch. We could all smell it, we had our tulip bulbs robbed and were baffled as it wasn't really the time of year for skunks. The first night I put out the patio furniture we spotted her. She was a beauty, huge and all white, found out later she wasn't albino, but just a lot of white and a little black. The air was silky and had that first warm breath that I love about Spring. It was the day after we spotted her...we sat on the porch and watched her almost willingly walk into the box trap that was set up to get her. I watched the door slam shut and she still sat quietly. Although I didn't get a chance to see her up close, I feel like she was doing what we asked of her... going somewhere else, somewhere safe to a nearby sanctuary. She sensed we were trying to make things right for her, just as the raccoon asked you to let her eat... I think we are faced with nature and the decisions of how to interact with nature so we can remember that we too are just animals with instincts and needs.
I have a feral female cat in the back yard whom I've fed for years. Trapped her and had her fixed. She had a mother and brother for a long time, but she's the last survivor. Fred named her Madam Curious.
A feral tom cat started coming in the yard to share her food. Very ugly and always beat up. I ran him off a few times, but finally gave up and started feeding him also. His tail looks like it was caught in a thick door - two crooks. I call him Crook. He turned out to be a very sweet spirit, much tamer than Madam. Loves to be petted. Very muscular and hard. Nice male presence.
Wayne Nelson
Ours come into the city along the railway corridors and ravines. Along with skunks, we watch families grow and explore the neighbourhood and back yards. They get pretty brave; so we have to be careful about doors and basement windows in the... summer evenings. They love cat food; so the little ones are always poking around the back door. Once three little ones walked single file along out fence while I was chillin' in the back yard. Once a couple of them got in the basement window. That was a bit of a circus. The poor little buggers were lost and confused. We ushered them out, but they didn't learn much from their wee bit of trauma. Wayne Nelson
WE trapped our coons,when living in Miami, and relocated them to Matheson Hammock Cynthia Vance
Great story. Perhaps you could use a cage trap and take them to a safe area.
I enjoyed reading the raccoon story as well as the next two. We have something in common--connecting with church and Sue Monk Kidd's books.
I have to reply to tell you something I learned after having a raccoon in my attic--occasional visitor who is still around somewhere and does love cat food. My daughter (wildlife biologist) cautioned about raccoon poop. It can contain a virus that is damaging to eyes. I wanted to tell you in case any of your neighbors or you find the little critters living in your houses or garage.
I went to great length to get a special humane trap to take Big Daddy (had to name my raccoon visitor) to a safer environment. He left on his own and we found how he got into the attic and fixed it so he won't be returning...except to the porch.
So--here is my true story about a raccoon. Two stories. One--I had one as a pet when a child. The other--I was in Florida reuniting with two childhood friends and having a rather nice time. I don't know how it happened but one night I became restless and the next morning announced I was going to drive back. No apparent reason and my friends were a bit stunned.
When I arrived home in Kentucky I checked my house and everything was fine until I opened the pantry door that leads up to the attic.
Good grief! I realized very quickly what had called me home.
All the food and other items on the pantry shelves was now on the floor in a big mess. I couldn't decide what had happened until I glanced up the narrow steps that led to a large attic. Then the moment of contact. It was the eye-to-eye and soul to soul you mentioned. He was the largest raccoon I have ever seen.
In one paw he clutched a two pound bag of confectioner sugar and his message to me was very clear. What are you doing here? This is mine!
Like you I stayed centered and in telepathic communication (okay, maybe that is a bit much but it felt like we were both silently sizing up each other and the situation) I quietly stepped back into the kitchen and closed the door.
The next morning when I reopened the pantry/attic door he was gone. He left a white trail of confectionery sugar up the steps and the bag of sugar was still at the top of the steps. I named him Big Daddy.. Like you, I felt bonded.
This was three years ago. He returned last year to the porch, but his entry to the attic is now closed. If he had cleaned up his mess I might reconsider!!!
Fun to write and share Sharon
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