#DeadRacoonTO

[Catherine]

I have been trying to post this for days. Last week a dead racoon was found on the streets of Toronto. The city was supposed to pick the body up promptly, once they were called.
There was clearly a delay and somehow a memorial to the racoon was started and of course a twitter account was opened. It just seemed to build and even after the racoon was gone the memorial was continued.
It is an interesting response since so many people claim to hate racoons. Could it be that Torontonians secretly love their racoons.

http://mashable.com/2015/07/10/toronto-d...-main-link

Whatever the reasons, people took the trouble to respond to the death of this racoon and acknowledge that he was alive. They gave him a name. They Actually expressed sadness that he was dead. Not what I expected from a city where people talk about wanting to kill all the racoons. Maybe it is easy for people to talk, but when they are face to face with a dead racoon their feelings are different.
Now if only they can give some of that love to the living racoons.

[LPC]

Why do people in Toronto want to kill all the racoons, Catherine?

[Tobi]

What a strange thing to happen...
I can't work out if it's people genuinely respecting the Raccoon or making a joke out of it, and the slowness of the public health services. I'm inclined towards the latter.

Many people view Raccoons as 'pests', as they are tenacious, have strong survival skills, and raid garbage which isn't locked up/wildlife-proofed. (Humans' fault again) But there have been cases of attacks by Raccoons on family pets too. However that might be when they feel threatened, or cornered....I don't know. There is some fear about Rabies too.

[Catherine]

I don't know why people hate racoons. They are usually the kind of people who want to control nature. They are careless with their garbage and they don't want to share their space with living creatures.

A lot of them are scared of the racoons. They just can't share the planet with other beings and that starts at home with not sharing the city with racoons.

I don't think the memorial is a joke. I think it is an expression of feeling from those of us who like racoons and even admire the little guys.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&e..._TcpTMausQ


http://www.cp24.com/news/deadracoonto-to...-1.2462973
Toronto is in a real struggle over the racoon issue. Some of us keep our places clean and safe for wildlife. We respect wildlife. Others see animals as an enemy. Those are the kind of people who cut down trees and pave their front yards.

I found this video.




Every year countless little creatures die in a city this big. The city picks the bodies up, but it can take time. I wonder if Conrad's death has provided us with an opportunity to express how sad we are that animals are killed. We never get to name them and say how sorry we are until now. I think the memorial is meant sincerely.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0

Even our local wildlife centre is benefiting from the publicity and they could use the money right now since they are coping with a flock of oil soaked ducks.

RIP Conrad.

[Tobi]

The video makes it clearer I think. It does seem like genuine respect, and everyone seems to be saying "Don't forget this animal who might have passed away unnoticed otherwise."
It is interesting how this has caught so many peoples' imaginations. Maybe it's a sign that many people care more than they perhaps used to.

[Catherine]

I think these road side memorials are a spontaneous expression feeling.
We do it every time someone is killed in traffic.
When a cyclist is killed they hold various memorials.
In particular they set up a Ghost Bike.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&e...NoRGao90jQ

http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1391547...r-du-toit/
There have been a lot of deaths on the road and people need to respond to them.

There are animal deaths on the roads all the time. Conrad is the first racoon to be recognized and named. I wonder if his memorial will make us aware of the dead animals on our streets.
Perhaps there will be memorials every time a racoon is killed.

If this gets us looking at the racoon issue and seeing them as something that has a right to live, then we will have made a big breakthrough. I hope it will at least open up a pro-racoon dialogue.