If a mother raccoon has been struck and killed by a vehicle, her babies may stay along the edge of the road with her body, unsure of what to do next. If they are to survive, they need to be rescued. Please wear gloves to protect yourself from bites and follow our list of safety precautions while collecting the babies.
If baby raccoons are found in an attic nest on your property, the best solution is to leave them there. Place a light or a radio in the attic area to let the mother know that her “secret” nest has been found. As soon as she is able, she will relocate her young without any further intervention on your part; this reduces risk to the raccoon family, reduces personal risk to you, and eliminates the expense of calling a pest-control company (which are required to destroy captured animals, rather than relocate…relocating also kills them most often, but those die due to lack of a safe home and the ability to find food and water fast enough).
If baby raccoons are found nesting in a tree you’ve cut down, put the young in a box at the base of the tree and leave them overnight. In most cases, the nocturnal mother will relocate them before morning. While mammals will take their young back after they’ve been handled by humans, please wear gloves, handle the babies as little as possible, and wash your hands thoroughly before doing anything else. Wild animals can carry parasites and diseases that are dangerous to humans.
