Orphaned Raccoons

My husband's mother has always had a special gift when it comes to caring for animals. She loves all God's creatures, great and small.  One way in which she serves as a faithful steward of the earth is to rescue and rehabilitate at-risk wildlife.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26, NIV)

She has rehabilitated all types of animals and has recently taken in possums, owls, and now raccoons.  She received three raccoons as newborns shortly after their mother died.  She must teach them how to survive on their own and is currently training them to forage and fish. 

I was surprised to find these nocturnal creatures awake when I greeted them in the middle of the afternoon.  They were bashful and fearful at first.  She has created a hammock inside their cage with a towel which they use as beds and hiding places when strangers approach.

Meeting the raccoons

These baby raccoons will soon outgrow their current cage, so she asked her boys to build a larger 8'x8' cage.  So, while I spent a day with the kids at a huge water park, my husband and the next older brother spent the day hauling lumber and building this cage in the 105+ degree heat.  The cage was 90% complete by the time we left.

Since we were there for Independence Day, when one raccoon placed his right paw over his heart, it seemed as if he was saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

They say classical education isn't truly classical without a strong agrarian component.  I'm hoping that our kids are getting an intense dose of agrarian education during their 15 days with Grandma and Grandpa.  They have been working in the garden and helping take care of all their animals which include numerous dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, Canadian geese, raccoons, fish, and some mice for now.