We were out for an evening walk on a residential street near Carlaw and Dundas. We heard some high-pitched calls and walked over to a house. The source of the calls was a very young raccoon on the roof covering the veranda of a house. Peering into the dimness above, we could just make out an adult and another young one up on the 3rd floor roof. The young raccoon was frantically calling and the adult (guessing the mother) climbed up and down an adjoining tree, obviously trying to figure out how to get to her stranded young (it must have fallen here as there was no easy way to access this section of roof). She finally climbed onto the verandah roof of the adjoining house, but could not get from there to the next roof where her young was.
As she deliberated over her next move, we heard a higher pitched shriek and then a sickening thud. The young raccoon had either slipped or perhaps attempted a jump to the roof where the mother was. The fall was at least 10 feet to concrete below. There was silence for a few seconds (which seemed like longer) and then we could hear the young one calling again. We worried it might be injured. The mother climbed down and in the dim light, we could see the young moving around. She tended to it for a few minutes in silence and then led it back up the tree so they could rejoin her other young on the third floor roof. It seemed to walk and climb fine, so we hope it had no lasting damage.
Who needs drama on TV when you can see it unfold in your neighbourhood?
