Discovery and Initial Capture Attempt
Our story opens in (roughly) September 1997 with a mother-raccoon being discovered,
by virtue of the noise she was making,
stuck, upside down, two-thirds through the roof into our attic.
The attempt to capture her by trap failed.
Tying One On
The raccoon mom was eventually captured by tethering her back feet,
which were still projecting out of the roof.
Enlarging the hole, then pulling the raccoon's legs,
disgorged her into a wild run across the roof,
at the end of which the raccoon
found herself inverted, apparently alone, in a non-euclidean space
(by the fence gate).
We lowered her into a trashcan...
The took her across town to a woody area for release...
Maternal Instincts
"It's over", we thought, and celebrated, until we heard little raccoons
chirruping in the wall of Phil's bedroom.
By the time we've discerned that they're not going to save themselves,
debated what part of the room through which to carve access,
and actually begun the rescue,
days have passed.
Four raccoonlets are found.
One is dead upon rescue.
One dies the next night from dehydration.
The other two seem to profit from our attempts to feed them liquid,
and the next day are taken to some people in the Wildlife Rescue
in Austin (a group founded by my mother in the early 80's).
Their chances of survival look good, and while we were there,
we took a look at the other hundred or so raccoons at the site
awaiting release.
Alex - the Early Feedings
At this point, the first night, all three yet live.
One, so dehydrated when found that the eyes were partly collapsed,
will die before morning.
After this, we arranged to purchase proper feeding formula and bottles.
Most of the following pictures are from this following day.
John
Phil
Dawn
Rob
Various stages of Disorder
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