Move Over, Oscar The Grouch! Animal Control Discovers Raccoon Family In Trash Can.

She may not be a green Muppet, but a mama raccoon found living in a trash can in Ontario, Canada, was certainly very grouchy!

The bin is located right by the main doorway of a busy office building where people come and go all day. There’s even a daycare located inside! When people discovered a rather ferocious raccoon living inside the bin, they called animal control.

She may look cute and innocent, but just imagine if a child tried to throw away a piece of garbage and was confronted by an angry “trash panda!”

Animal control experts Cassandra and Brad were dispatched from Gates’ Wildlife Control of Richmond Hill, Ontario to relocate the raccoon.

“When we approached the bin the mother lunged out at us, which proved to be very dangerous if anyone were to stick their hand inside to throw out their garbage,” they stated on Instagram.

In a video, we can watch the moment they approach the bin, only to have the raccoon lunge out to threaten them away.

“Yeah, if she’s that aggressive there’s a good chance that somebody’s gonna get bit,” Brad said.

“I understand that you want to stay in there forever because you get free food,” Brad tells her politely as he slips a snare pole around her body. “But te problem is, you’re too close to people, and you could hurt somebody if they try to put garbage in there.”

Next, he carefully pulls her out of the can, and boy was she mad!

Once mama was safely contained in a crate, they turned their attention to the adorable mewing sounds coming from the bottom of the can.

“I did hear a baby cry,” Cassandra said.

Sure enough, they peered inside to find six tiny raccoon kits sleeping amongst the garbage in the bottom of the can.

The kits are only about 21 days old. Only one of them had an eye open, the rest were still blind to the world around them. All of the babies were relocated to a heated reunion box. After everyone was checked out, the whole family was moved to a ravine behind the building — a safe distance from the comings and goings of the local humans!

Thank goodness they were able to safely move this little family to a better area. Animals deserve to have their own space to live, but guarding a public trash can is not one of them!

Watch the sweet rescue in the video below, and don’t forget to share.