Raccoon babies will die if left on their own. They require their mother's milk for at least the first 2 months. We provide a costly but closely matched formula to the mothers milk.  Caring people trying to help by feeding cow's milk to these infants can cause serious health issues and often death.

If you find orphaned babies please do not try to feed them. Keep them warm and get them to us as quickly as possible.  Fed incorrectly these little ones can aspirate [inhale formula into their lungs] and die. Even as they get a little older we still must be careful to match their diet as it would be in the wild.

First we need to make sure that it is indeed an orphan. Finding a small baby doesn't always mean mother is gone. She may just be hiding for safety and waiting for you to go away so she can retrieve her baby.  We are a poor substitute for their natural mother and we go to great lengths to reunite the family whenever possible.

Many babies play while mother is sleeping in a tree. Mother is nocturnal, but babies are not. A raccoon doesn't become nocturnal until it is nearly a year old and even at that age, they are not completely nocturnal. The myth that they are ill if seen during the day is just that.... a myth. Raccoons may be seen any time day or night. Some are out during the day to find food, some are just young and aren't nocturnal yet.