Could raccoons be America’s next favourite pet?

Physically, these mammals now have a much smaller snout than their wild counterparts. This is what science calls “domestication syndrome” wherein the animals develop changes in morphology and behavior, including smaller skulls, reduced defensive responses, lighter coloring, and altered facial shapes. This is exactly what happened in the case of dogs as they evolved from wolves.

Raccoons are now becoming less afraid of penetrating human settlements

The result of this new domestication has already begun to gain visibility, making its way onto social media. Many TikTok accounts are now making fun videos with this mellowed-down version of raccoons, calling them “trash pandas”. Some are posing as household pets, others as neighbourhood favourites. Interestingly, the raccoons have made it to sports as well. In May 2024, one such raccoon named “Raqu” or “Raquinho” paused a Major League soccer match after evading the stadium staff and sprinting across the pitch. Soon, Pennsylvania’s Subaru Park, where the match was happening between the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC, made headlines.

But why the sudden change? A school of thought believes that this evolution is closely linked to the alarming rise of human waste. “Trash is really the kickstarter,” study co-author Raffaela Lesch of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock told Scientific American. Because the bins provide ample food for these notorious mammals, they have become more daring in human environments but not aggressive enough to be perceived as threatening, thereby gaining a survival advantage.

Until now, it was believed that domestication begins only when humans intentionally capture or selectively breed animals, but this new study suggests that the process may start much earlier. Animals with more tolerant and less reactive temperaments are simply adapting independently to human environments. However, the process is gradual. So while raccoons may not be popular pets right away, they may become so in the coming years. If so, would you like to house a raccoon as your new companion?