Raccoon baby Tyson came to the sanctuary at only 2 weeks old. He was orphaned when an animal control company removed babies from an attic and put them in a heated box next to the house.
Mom moved three babies, but little Tyson was left behind. Tyson was just 218 g when admitted on May 5 and tipped the scales at 25+ pounds in late September when he was released with his buddies.
The release video:
Another great release. Huge thanks to Natalie and Gordon for sharing their gorgeous 85 acre property near Apple Hill with Tyson and his friends.
While most of the raccoons quietly explored and foraged, two of them made a beeline to the creek at the end of the path. One raccoon wouldn’t stop eating long enough to move.
Every fall, we travel hundreds of kilometers and spend hours hiking crown land and the private property of our supporters as we search for the perfect release sites. Hiking Ottawa’s forests with the leaves changing colour is not such a tough job!
By law, we have to release orphaned wildlife within 15 km of where they were found. Some species, such as squirrels, can be released in suburban areas away from busy roads. In fact, many of the people who rescue them agree to release them back onto their properties.
For other species, such as raccoons and skunks, we prefer to release them in rural forests. Watching our charges being released back to their natural environment and enjoying their freedom is our best reward. If you would like to share your property with wildlife, please let us know as we always need more sites.
