How did a raccoon that arrived in Belarus from the USA manage to survive a month in a car without food?
The veterinary station shared the story of the raccoon, named Senya.
Screenshot from ONT video
The raccoon now lives in the vivarium of the Ashmyany district veterinary station. He is currently in quarantine. He doesn't go outside, fearing the cold. He's sluggish, scared, sleeps a lot, and dislikes noise, ONT reported.
Three times a day, veterinary station employee Lyudmila Golub comes to visit Senya (as the raccoon was named). The video shows him fearfully pressing himself against the wall. However, the vet station notes that his condition is already much better than it was.
The raccoon loves chicken, grapes, nuts, apples. His favorite food is raw eggs. Grodno customs officers also bring him treats.
For now, the animal is simply being observed. He will need to be vaccinated and have his age and sex (boy or girl) determined.
Screenshot from ONT video
The raccoon arrived in Belarus from the USA in a sea container with passenger cars. When he was spotted, he was initially mistaken for a toy. The raccoon spent at least a month in transit. Out of hunger, he even gnawed on the car's interior.
How did the raccoon manage to go so long without food? Raccoons are similar to bears — in autumn they put on fat, and in winter they like to sleep. These habits saved him from death. During this state of torpor, raccoons' vital processes slow down, and their body temperature slightly decreases.
This is how the raccoon arrived in Belarus. Photo: customs
«Their sleep in nature is shallow, intermittent. If a thaw occurs somewhere, the raccoon can wake up, leave its shelter, find something to eat, just stretch. And then it goes back into its shelter and sleeps until the next thaw,» says Tatyana Savchuk, a lecturer at the Grodno Zoo.
Screenshot from ONT video
The car being transported from the USA had no side window. That's how the raccoon got inside.
The raccoon will remain in quarantine at the veterinary station in Ashmyany until mid-February. During this time, a new home will be found for him — this could be, for example, Naliboki Forest or the Grodno Zoo.
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