Baby raccoons are born in the early spring and remain much attached to their mother. They are born blind and helpless, and so they follow their mother in a straight line. The kits start hunting at the age of five months and can catch small prey like rodents and birds, etc.
Do male raccoons eat their babies?
There are some animals that tend to kill their young ones. Bears, canids, primates, and felines are some of the common examples. This is called the practice of infanticide. Raccoons also come under this category. A male adult raccoon has a tendency to kill a female’s baby and mate with her. However, it is not known whether they also eat it after killing or not.
Why Does Boar Raccoon Kill The Babies?
Infanticide among raccoons is all about their sexual dominance behavior. A boar raccoon believes that a female raccoon may not be willing to mate due to their young offspring. So, if they can get rid of the kit, the mother raccoon will be willing to go for the heat. That is why the boars kick and kill the kits when they see it with the mother.
Do Mother Raccoons Kill Their Babies?
Although the boar or adult male raccoons have a tendency to kill the young kits, it is just the opposite for a female raccoon. In fact, they are very good and responsible mothers. They take care of the babies till they become strong enough to take care of themselves and can go to any extent to protect their babies.
Do Male Raccoons Take Care Of Their Babies?
Male raccoons generally love to spend a solitary life. They hate taking responsibility and do not take any part in raising the young kits. So, the entire responsibility of bringing up an infant raccoon rests solely upon the mother or the female raccoon. They stay with the kits and teach them all the essential skills in order to survive on their own when they grow up.
Do Raccoons Reject Their Babies?
It may be true in the case of a father raccoon but certainly not for a mother raccoon. Sometimes you can find an infant raccoon moving alone near your house. It may seem to you that the baby is an orphaned one but in fact, it is not. Females make excellent mothers and are very good at taking care of their babies. It is highly probable that the mother will return at night to care of her kit.
Do Raccoons Attack Other Raccoons?
Raccoons are more or less lazy creatures and they do not like to hunt or fight with other animals for food. Due to this reason, they are often seen to be eating the leftovers of people from the trash bins of their houses. Sometimes when they do not get sufficient food to eat, they may attack the small animals and even other raccoons. It is part of their struggle for existence.
Final Words
Normally the baby raccoons stay with their mother up to the age of twelve weeks. They are very vocal and make a lot of sounds like growls or hiss. Female raccoons become mature faster than males.