Raccoons are 'magical'

I rented a three-bedroom apartment in Fiesta Gardens for over five years. I am 53 and was a legal secretary for over 15 years. When I first moved in, feral rats were crawling along the trees in my backyard at night; eerily, they sang strange, haunting songs. I spent hundreds of dollars with Earl pest Control, to no avail.

During the day, I set out birdseed in the yard for the doves, blackbirds, starlings, even a wild parakeet, among many other songbirds who came to visit. Little squirrels ate and buried walnuts and peanuts I left for them -- sometimes they came inside and buried nuts in my houseplants. I'm still finding buried nuts.

When a raccoon appeared in my yard one day, I knew nothing about raccoons and though of her as a wolf; she was fearless and just looked at me as I waved a stick at her. I turned on the garden hose and sprayed water at her. She looked at me wearily, then trotted away, head hanging down. As I watched her, I saw a sad, hungry critter who had the right to be on this planet, too. I felt small.

Still, I chased her away several more times, fearing she'd prey on my wild birds and squirrels. One day the raccoon came into my yard out of a runner under the building. She wanted to drink rainwater which had pooled in a corner. My heart melted when I saw a tiny baby raccoon very close by her. I knew, as I watched her through the window nuzzling her baby lovingly, that she just wanted somewhere to sleep and protect her baby.

Eventually, when I realized how peaceful "Princess" was (I named them all), I set out dry cat food in the yard for her to eat at night. The rats disappeared once she was there. When her kits got older (she had more), I got to know their babies and many raccoon generations. They were all shy, sweet, intelligent and fascinating. I even put my hand in their mouths and they were gentle. I adored them, they were so beautiful.

Living in a house now is much better, yet my heart still hurts because I had to leave my special wild friends who'd taken me into the most magical time of my life, where I learned so much.

Too bad man thinks he's the supreme and has the right to drive other creatures to the point of extinction or the endangered list. He has persecuted and slaughtered raccoons for its tail. Where there once was habitat raccoons could sustain themselves in, man has destroyed it and built homes for himself. Granted, they aren't on the endangered list, but raccoons wouldn't be "bothering" humans if they had large woods and forests with big trees with holes to nest their young in -- their natural choice.

We've rid this planet of almost all its forests and now these low-conscious residents propose to kill those animals -- to sterilize the area of raccoons. They think they are far more important. We aren't -- we're just different. How terrible it would be if only these humans inhabited the world.

We are the only creatures here who are not innocent and therefore should strive for wisdom to follow the higher path. Humans are duty-bound to learn how to co-exist peacefully with our wild neighbors.

Raccoon is not a rodent, as your article stated. The Order Rodentia includes rats, beavers, squirrels and rabbits, all having to pairs of sharp incisors (front) teeth that always grow, therefore they must gnaw to wear them down. Raccoons (family Procyonidae) are related to the red panda and the coatis, of Asia and South America. They can use their little hand-like forepaws a lot like us and are omnivores, meaning they can be vegetarian. All my wild raccoons preferred peanuts and dry cat food, never touching fish or chicken I for left them. It's amazing how much their tracks look like those of a human babies.

Raccoons are peaceful, but cats, dogs and others love to instigate trouble with them. Interesting how raccoons never initiate a fight, yet their strength is far out of proportion to their size. An adult raccoon can easily take on a large dog. My raccoons never bothered my wild birds or squirrels in our haven in the backyard. Being tree creatures, the wildlife were all happiest when playing in the trees, which are becoming a rare commodity these days.

Belinda Paris Moon

San Bruno<