A Mom and Daughter Saved a Baby Raccoon 4 Years Ago, and He Keeps Showing Up at Their Door to Say Hi

No matter how independent animals are, none of them are exempt from suffering some kind of mishap or accident that calls for some human help every now and then. For animals that are considered wild, who live their lives in forests or other habitats, it can be really difficult to find and receive support from humans. Nonetheless, some people are willing to go the extra mile to help a furry friend.

This is exactly what happened to Nikki Robinson, who, in an interview for Bright Side, shared some of her and her mother Linda’s work with wild raccoons. And above all, they told us the beautiful story between them and the affectionate and faithful Little Hands.

Having raccoons at home

Nikki Robinson and her mother, Linda, both live in Canada, a country known for having a thriving raccoon population, so it’s not uncommon to cross paths with these little friends. Both women are passionate about nature and wildlife. In fact, they think that they were lucky enough to find a great sense of adventure and a sort of life-saving companionship with each other.

The presence of these intelligent animals is considered, by some people, to be a plague. This might explain why raccoons are not often thought of as animals who need shelter or even human attention, even though that isn’t really true. In fact, raccoons, as in the case of our protagonist, Little Hands, sometimes find themselves in the middle of nature, on the roads, or in cities alone, helpless, defenseless, or injured and in great need of our assistance. Fortunately, there are also people fascinated by these little animals that are willing to give them a home and lots of love like they deserve.

Little Hands, a baby raccoon on the road alone

In 2017, the baby raccoon they would later name Little Hands came into Nikki and Linda’s life as you would imagine — pretty much by surprise. Apparently, when they found this little guy, he was really scared and was just there on the side of the road. He was taken to their home and they became his great saviors and protectors. He would end up spending a little more than 5 months with them.

A lot of care and an escape attempt

When this beautiful baby was somewhat adopted by the people who would be his family for a while, he first had to be cleaned, warmed, rehydrated, fed, and kept in isolation for some time, just out of precaution. Linda and Nikki did a great job at keeping Little Hands safe in their foyer. However, little did they know, this tiny guy was also a little mischievous.

We’re saying that because, despite his young age, the raccoon, at some point, decided to get out of his box and hide from his saviors. Unable to find him, they had to resort to the incredible sense of smell of the family dog, who finally located him somewhere among the shoes (above, you can see pictures that captured the moment when they found him again).

He found great friends in other species.

Little Hands was not the only animal in Linda and Nikki’s home, but there were other rescued pets, as well as family pets that had been living with them for some time now. The baby raccoon came into the family home the same year as a rescue dog that Linda adopted, so they grew up together. And he has a great relationship with the animals that were in the home at the time, which proves that everybody can get along as long as they grow in a family full of love.

Maybe the key to this success was that Little Hands’ 2 rescuers tried to make his life as normal as possible (for a raccoon, that is), so a lot of the time, he would spend with them. He would even get out of the house and explore nature, knowing that he could come back to them any time. In this way, they made sure that when he was ready, Little Hands would be able to reintegrate into his natural habitat and function on his own instead of just depending on humans to survive.

Little Hands found a mother in Linda.

Linda became the main caregiver and protector of the protagonist of this beautiful story. She was in charge of lifting him up and making sure he got better, and maybe that’s the reason why Little Hands feels a special bond based on love and affection for this endearing woman. Even today, 4 years after his reintegration into the wild, this raccoon, now a full-grown and functioning adult, returns from time to time to visit and give love and affection to the family. Especially to his beloved Linda, who he knows took care of him when he needed it most.

Maybe this is his own special way of saying thank you for all she did for him, or maybe he just misses her, but the fact remains that he still goes to the front door to greet Linda, sit on her lap, give her a few hugs, and spend time with her.

The story of Little Hands should probably raise some awareness about the capacity animals have to feel, love, and be grateful, even if they’re not educated the same way humans are. This raccoon, who arrived at Nikki and Linda’s home as a baby, was able to create an affectionate bond that has lasted over time. This is an animal that, despite being considered wild, is able to love, miss, remember, and show affection. This is something that we should all take into account when we run into one of these little furry friends, don’t you think?