We’ve shared countless stories with you about unlikely animal relationships, but this one is accompanied by some of the most precious photos that you may have ever seen. Raccoons may look almost like tiny forest pandas, and even watching the way the walk is adorable. They simply love to eat–which you may have noticed if you live near a woodsy area and you’ve accidentally left some food out at night… like I do nightly with cat food. But our interactions with them are strictly from a distance, as with any wild animal, we need a safe buffer between us and them for both parties to feel safe.
That is, until this little cutie named Pumpkin came along. Last year in Nassau, Bahamas, a Bahamian resident found a baby raccoon that had fallen from a tree and lost its mother. The woman, Rosie Kemp, and her daughter, Laura Young, didn’t have the heart to leave the little baby behind, so they took her in and brought her home. And boy are they glad that they did!
The mother and the daughter didn’t know what to expect, but nothing could have prepared them for what happened next. The baby raccoon, who they named Pumpkin, took to the family without hesitation, and immediately developed a strong bond with the family’s two rescue dogs, Toffee and Oreo. From that very first day, everything they knew about raccoons changed. The family noticed how gentle she was, incredibly intelligent, and undeniably sweet.
“She instantly bonded with us and our two rescue dogs and follows me and our two dogs everywhere we go,” said Young. “She now thinks she is a dog… she is able to play and be rough with them and she respects them when they have had enough.”
And wait, there’s plenty more to be seen!
