Most cottagers already know what Janna Breslin learned during a recent trip to Florida: if food is within range, raccoons will do whatever it takes to reach it. They don’t call them ring-tailed bandits for nothing.
While stand-up paddleboarding in Weeki Wachee Springs, the startled woman found a curious raccoon swimming towards the bag on the deck of her board. She was able to deter the swimming scavenger with her paddle, but it approached them again later while they were back on land.
While the clip is funny, it’s an important reminder that under no circumstances should you feed wildlife. And for those who balk at the bonk the raccoon received from Breslin’s paddle, she offered the following: “I’m not happy I bonked him on the head, I tried to nicely keep him away from me and my things but once I felt he was not going to let go of my clothing and food, I made a split decision to make sure my belongings were safe.”
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