Feeding the Raccoons on their Stations

I took this video a couple of days ago while I was feeding the raccoons, Nobbum, Kelly, and Brad.




They are trained to stand on assigned stations (in this case large tree stumps) before getting their food. There are several reasons the wildlife specialists have trained the raccoons to exhibit this behavior. One is that it is an easy way to keep track of how much food the raccoons are eating and to make sure each is getting its fair share. Feeding them this way also prevents aggression and fighting that may result if the food was scattered around the exhibit. One of the raccoons is on a daily supplement and it is very easy to hand her the medicine in food on the station and ensure that one of the others is not getting it instead. Station training is also helpful for weighing the animals. The wildlife specialists can place a scale on top of the stump and then ask the raccoon to stand on it. Daily training exercises also help keep the animals mentally healthy.


Michelle Leighty, CMNH Wildlife Specialist