A solitary raccoon does not always mean that they are orphaned. It is quite normal for the baby to stray from their mothers especially during daytime. Basically, a raccoon will only become nocturnal after they reach one year old. In case you found a baby raccoon, do not remove it immediately, the mother raccoon will eventually find them within 2-8 hours. However, while they are out of their den, you should provide them with protection. Baby raccoons will start to explore their environment once they reach 8 weeks old. They should be with their families through the entire duration of summer season.

Things to Do If You Find a Baby Raccoon

If the small raccoon has a total length of 1 foot (excluding its tail) and a steady walker, it is at the right age where it will explore its environment. As we mentioned above, baby raccoons are active during daylight unlike their mother, so it is only common to see them alone. If you think the small raccoons look well and healthy, it is recommended to just leave them alone. However, come back after few hours, in case it stays in the same place, the raccoon probably requires some help.

Reuniting It with Its Mother

The first solution that you need to consider would be to reunite it with its mother. You should always give the mother the opportunity to find their young raccoon and care for them until they are perfectly capable of handling things on their own. When trying to reunite the baby raccoon to its mother raccoon, you should wear gardening gloves. In case it is too small (less than 1 foot) scoop it with a towel and place it in a cardboard box. The height of the box should be enough to prevent them from climbing out of the box. To keep them warm, you should leave the towel in the box.

The baby raccoons can die due to hypothermia particularly during the nights of spring time. In addition, the mother raccoon will not retrieve the cold raccoons. In case you find the raccoon at night, it is recommended to give them a heat source. Heating pad is a great source of heat. If heating pad is not available, you can go for heat bags that are microwaveable. Place it under the towel that will make the baby raccoons warm.

Containing an Orphaned Baby Raccoon

In the event that you are 100% sure that the baby raccoon has been orphaned, you should contain them properly. Remember that animals considered human as predators and any encounter with us will be stressful. If you cannot contain them properly, it is recommended to call the help of the expert. Never handle the raccoon that is more than necessary since it can increase the transfer of disease. For small raccoons containing them in a cardboard box is sufficient.

After you contained them, you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator who will rehabilitate the young raccoons in an ideal environment that can increase their rate of survival.

Read the How to get rid of raccoons page for helpful information and to learn more about What Should I Do if I Find an Orphaned Baby Raccoon Wandering About?