Baby raccoon makes an escape

A baby raccoon is called a kit. Moments previous to this shot, a mother raccoon spotted me and hurried past followed by two kits. A third one fell into the duckweed-covered water in its attempt to catch up, allowing me time to prepare for this photo. Raccoons are good swimmers even at a young age.

They are born quite small and remain in the den for several weeks. By late June the family of two to three kits will begin traveling with their mother on nightly excursions. Young raccoons will stay close to their mother through their first winter. Their cumulative body heat may be vital to the juvenile's survival.

Even though raccoons will eat almost anything -- including insects, dead animals, crawfish, bird seed and human food -- young wild raccoons often fall victim to starvation. Extended drought and extensive cold periods during winter are difficult obstacles to overcome because juvenile raccoons usually do not accumulate adequate body fat to combat these harsh conditions.

A raccoon's visible trademarks are its mask and its black-and-white ringed tail.

To keep raccoons out of your chimney, a wire mesh chimney cap or a flat rock on top will do. If you are unfortunate enough to have a female raccoon choose your chimney as a den to raise her young, you may try placing a radio in the fireplace. Tune it to talk radio and turn it up. She might get the message to move out.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by him at the O'Tenem Gallery.