Raccoons — Susan Kirby

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are nocturnal foraging mammals who are smart, clever, wily little critters. They show up at the water’s edge in Central Park and either delight or frighten the human onlookers.

*Ms. Murray’s nest tree in the Ramble, Central Park, April 1, 2021*

*A raccoon has been hanging out near the barred owl paparazzi in the Ramble, Central Park. April 29, 2021*

The Riverside Park Hole in the Wall Gang

Riverside Park in Manhattan has some very resourceful raccoons. They have built their homes inside the walls separating the park from the upper level sidewalk, and come dusk, they venture outside the holes, first checking out the weather, then venturing forth to find food (often supplied by humans at the top of the walls).

*Raccoon, Riverside Park, March 21, 2021*

The raccoon in the following slide show was seen in Riverside Park on July 9, 2024. There were at least three coming out of the hole later in the day.

In 2023, I saw two Hole in the Wall Gangs in Riverside Park on August 11. These guys are just too cute!

The raccoons in The Riverside Park Hole in the Wall Gang were filmed between June 2020 and March 21, 2021, as they poked their heads out of their rocky home and stretched, scratched, played, and sang a little Pink Floyd (actually, Scott Joplin).

The delightful raccoons in this slide show were seen on December 12, 2020 (walking on the wall) and on March 21, 2021, at two places in Riverside Park.

The raccoons in this slide show were seen in Riverside Park, June 2020.

*Raccoon, Oak Bridge, Central Park, May 14, 2020*

*Ms. Murray’s kit in the Ramble, Central Park, June 16, 2020*

A tree nest in Central Park north of the feeders had four youngsters in 2020, and Mama took them out for an introduction and some fresh air on May 30 and June 2.

*Mama Raccoon with two of her four kits, the Ramble, Central Park, June 2, 2020*

*Raccoon, Oak Bridge, Central Park, May 18, 2020*

*Raccoon washing the paws at the Loch, Central Park, April 11, 2020*