Assessing juvenile or adult raccoons: Does the animal need help?
Juvenile Raccoons If the baby is with other littermates and/or is significantly smaller than an adult cat, it is probably this years young–a juvenile. (NOTE: Baby raccoons are born in spring, so this statement would only be true in late summer or early fall–a baby that is this size in spring or early summer is at least a year old and independentsee Adult Raccoons below). To assess whether a juvenile baby needs help, answer the following questions: It is able to run and climb well and get away from people? Is it avoiding people (i.e. trying to get away when approached)? Is it quiet (that is, not making any mewling/crying sounds)? If you answered YES to ALL of the above questions, the raccoon should be assumed to be at a stage of independence where it may be ok even if something has happened to the mother (and in some cases the mother may be around anyway and simply not with the baby at the time when it is being observed). If you are able to, continue to monitor the baby over the cours
