International Raccoon Appreciation Day

“A smile makes a gloomy day brighter, a smile makes a rainbow wake up in the sky,” sings the character of the famous Soviet cartoon, released in 1974 It was not for nothing that the main character of this fairy tale story was the raccoon - an intelligent, good-natured and extremely curious animal that lives in the wild nature of North and Central America These mammals are also common in Japan and Western and Eastern Europe, where they were introduced in the 1920s Fashionistas of that time sported silver or brown fur coats made from raccoons, which were bred on farms in Germany and France The animals try to stay away from people and live near water bodies and in wild forests However, according to prevailing stereotypes, raccoons are treated as pests This approach is incorrect: furry animals bring great benefits to nature, being forest nurses Raccoons eat sick birds and animals, some types of poisonous mushrooms and parasitic insects Therefore, it is very important to take care of preserving their natural habitat and the size of the predator population For this purpose, International Raccoon Appreciation Day was established The celebration was first celebrated in 2002 in California In honor of International Raccoon Conservation Day, various educational events are held Their organizers talk about the lifestyle of small predators and their role in the development of biologically rich communities Raccoons eat not only sick animals and birds, but also mosquito larvae, rotten tree leaves, carrion in the form of berries and fruits, preventing pests from developing in their flesh The vital activity of these animals helps maintain the ecosystem of the area where they live in balance Scientists distinguish 4 species of mammals of this family, of which the most common is the striped raccoon The first mentions of it are found in the records of Christopher Columbus during his journey to the shores of North America Despite the passage of centuries, scientists still have not resolved the dilemma of what genus this predatory mammal belongs to Some believe that they belong to dogs, others to badgers, and others to cats However, strange as it may sound, the closest relative of the raccoon from a biological point of view is the bear The animals live in tree hollows or burrows, from which they drive other animals out When threatened with attack, the raccoon actively resists - growls at the enemy and bites But if it is possible to avoid a fight, the animal falls to the ground and very skillfully pretends to be dead Another manifestation of raccoon intelligence is memory They have a very high IQ level The animal remembers the algorithm for solving any life problem for 3 years For a very long time it was believed that raccoons are loners Today evidence has emerged of their social lifestyle The female, her offspring and sometimes the male stick together and distribute responsibilities to protect their territory from enemies It is easy to find a common language and establish friendly relations with raccoons that live close to a person’s home To do this, you should not get too close to them and feed them food that is not found in the wild People keep raccoons as pets and get a lot of pleasure from interacting with these intelligent animals Animals can be found in most zoos in the world They get along well within the same enclosure with representatives of the canine family - raccoon dogs But optimal conditions for their habitat are still provided by wild nature Therefore, all concerned people, concerned about the decline in the population of these mammals, celebrate International Raccoon Conservation Day on October 1