Fuzzy friends or foes?

This semester, a certain group of greyish, stripey, panda-looking fellows are making their mark. For two girls who love a night walk through Riverside Park, we have become quite accustomed to seeing these trash bandits’ antics, but are these favored Barnumbia pets up to mischief, or do they just want a cuddle?

Here is a short collection of our encounters thus far. 

One Guy vs. Five Raccoons 

Last week, we saw a guy leaning on the Riverside ledge by himself with headphones on. He smoked a whole joint by himself and seemed one with nature (we’ve all been there). It was dark outside, and the only thing illuminating him was a street lamp. Suddenly, about ten meters away, five pairs of beady eyes popped up from behind the wall. Paw over paw, they climbed onto the ledge and slowly walked in a line heading towards the guy. We immediately sounded the alarm, waving frantically at him, but he was in another universe. It wasn’t until the first raccoon in line was to his immediate right that he saw us jumping and waving. The way he turned his head was almost in slow motion as if he could not believe what he was seeing (we couldn’t either). He locked eyes with the raccoon when it was literally inches away from his arm. It only needed to reach its little paw out, and there would be contact. Then, as if taken over by a raccoon-fearing spirit, his body lurched forward, drawing him out of harm’s way. He turned around to look at them, clearly shocked by what had just happened, and the five of them just stared back, revealing nothing. The craziest part is that after ten or fifteen minutes, the guy went back to sit on the ledge. The raccoons were gone by then, and we left before we could see if they returned. Though, we haven’t seen the guy since…

Trashcan and Tree Parkour

To be a Riverside raccoon is to be incredibly strong. We have witnessed crazy feats of muscle: swift climbs up and drop-downs into delectable trash cans, treacherous climbs up the riverside wall, and speedy scrambles up trees. Your situationship who “likes to climb” could truly never compare. But it raises the question: what is all this climbing for? Obviously, it is necessary to get around and chow down. However, we believe it may be more complicated than that. Our proposal is that they are training to elevate their game. They have spent their entire lives trying to survive outside, pushed away into the cold park, all while being forced to stare at the warmth of the apartments on Riverside Drive. Now, they are taking what they never had: a cozy home with food in abundance. Instead of feasting in trash cans, they will be dining with us. If you live near Riverside, you have been warned. Keep those windows closed if you don’t want a new friend.

Date Night: Three Girls, One Raccoon

Speaking of dinner dates with our fuzzy friends, just last night, we were ambushed with a date worse than getting catfished. We were eating our Chipotle bowls on the Riverside benches, chatting casually as we do. By now, we honestly should’ve known to be more careful. But, we were blinded by our hunger and didn’t think twice about sitting near the trash cans. When a small but mighty raccoon suddenly emerged from one of the bins, it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. Nevertheless, the fear factor kicked in, especially when the raccoon made deadly eye contact. I swear, it sniffed our bowls and growled. Instead of growling back and marking our territory, we sprinted away. One of us left a bowl behind as a peace offering. I have never felt so dominated by something so cute and tiny. 

A Note From The Authors:

If you find yourself wanting to visit these furry bandits, we have found they are most active around 10 pm on nights with a clear sky. Just remember to stay vigilant or they might try to make contact.

Image via Wikimedia Commons