Thursday, April 23, 2009

Mother and Child


With all Tuesday's rain, I did my lake excursion by car. As I came up over a rise, here was a raccoon coming along the side of the roadway. Being a nocturnal creature, I figured this poor thing to be rabid. I thought I'd get off a few quick shots before calling environmental police.

But something in its behavior was wrong. It was quickly moving away from me. A rabid animal might not have acted so naturally.

Then I noticed the little something in its mouth. Here was mother raccoon moving one of her children. I estimate her little one to be about two weeks old.















I must offer apologies for the shots. Auto-focus was turned off from some earlier photos (sigh...), and I was shooting one-handed without the viewfinder while driving. I did feel bad disturbing her and her little one but I don't think I put them out too much. Our whole encounter lasted less than a minute or two before she was over the wall and out of sight.

4 comments:

  1. Oh how CUTE!!! I would be thrilled to have seen this let alone to get a few pics this good- well done!
    ~gretchen

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  2. Thanks, Gretchen. :-) They really are the cutest critters!

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  3. I have just been catching up with your blog and have loved the wildlife. This week I saw my first possum! The gardeners were very dismissive, I know they are perhaps not the most beautiful but I thought it was rather endearingly ugly!

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  4. Ya, aren't they cool little critters? Even at a gallop they are hardly moving. :-)

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