Photo Setup
The family was waiting for me as I arrived. Surprise after 7 days of absence. How do they know I'm coming? Smell, Sound - They always retreat into the forest - and I can't imagine them approaching me in less than a minute. I wait an hour for them - so do you think they have been waiting for me - knowing I always appear just before sunrise?
Posted by Frank Starmer on Thursday, March 3, 2016
Enjoying Breakfast
They grab a handful of food and retreat to eat - seems to be not interested in sharing
Mom snatching some food
Retreating to eat in peace
Crouching Raccoon
Grabbing Breakfast
Initially, Bebe ate slowly - hovering over the bowl of food - but with the kids her behavior changed - she reached for food, then retreated and quietly ate. The kids, however, don't know how to share and grab some food and retreat to avoid the other kids. However Susan, the little girl, changed her behavior. Initially quite she, she would climb an adjacent tree and watch her brothers eat. When they finished, she would descend and eat the leftovers. Today though, she is not going to be satisfied with leftovers. Here (at 19 sec) she gently nudges the brother on the left to get out of her way. He does not get the message and at 25 seconds she steps up the temperature of her discontent with this pushing behaviour - and then dished out the same aggressive nip to the brother on her right. A fun video to watch
Even raccoon kids can be feisty. Their eating algorithm is grab and retreat - to avoid a sibling stealing their dropped...
Posted by Frank Starmer on Thursday, March 3, 2016
Only leftovers
Mom and one of the kids finishing
Mom finishing while one of the kids watched
Sunrise after cleanup
C. Frank Starmer