That's Not Santa In The Chimney!

This week we got a phone call from a family that thought there was something stuck in their chimney. When we climbed on their roof and looked down, this is what we saw:



Then we zoomed in on it, and this is what we saw:



When Don tried to coax the raccoon to get up, he noticed a litter of new-borns that the mama was keeping warm. They were just little fuzz balls that still had their eyes closed. Don estimated their age at less than a week old.

The owners of the house brought all of their children onto the roof to look at their visitors. Don explained that the little ones would die if we removed the mama, so the family decided to let them all stay until the babies get big enough to follow their mama out into the night to get food (about 3 months from now). We are SO glad they made that decision!

We'll go back some night in August when they are all out hunting and seal off the chimney with wire mesh. They'll have to find a new home then, but at least they will be big enough to do so. Until then, we are happy that they all get a chance to live.