Seattle has a new internet favorite, and he answers to Jimothy.
The wild raccoon, spotted in Seattle and named in a viral Instagram post, has become a social media sensation after a video of him running across grass and disappearing into nearby shrubbery drew more than 6.3 million views.
Kiana Hall, who posted the video, told The Seattle Times she spotted Jimothy on July 13 while out with her partner. They first thought the animal was a cat, then realised it was a raccoon after it ran out from under a car. Hall told The Seattle Times that “he looked like a Jimothy.”
Since that video spread online, more clips of what appears to be the same raccoon have surfaced. Ben Trammel posted two videos to Instagram on July 16 of what he said appeared to be a baby Jimothy.
“Seattle’s newest celebrity was born in our neighbor’s cedars to a racoon family that had lived there for years,” Trammel wrote. “We saw Jimothy … almost daily for months. He was so small and clumsy, but his mother and siblings were always so patient and caring, keeping him from falling and sometimes just carrying him. With all the pain in our timelines rn (right now), I’m really loving how connected so many people feel this funny little creature.”
USA TODAY reported that Jimothy is a wild raccoon living in Seattle with an apparent birth defect affecting the length of his spine. Marcie Logsdon, a professor at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, told USA TODAY she expects Jimothy was born in the spring.
Logsdon told USA TODAY it is “very fair” to assess that Jimothy has short spine syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that can make animals appear to have no neck. According to Petco, the condition happens when vertebrae do not develop into bone during the fetal stage and instead remain in a softer cartilage stage. Over time, the vertebrae become compressed, causing the spine to fuse and shorten.
Logsdon said that although Jimothy has a “severe deformity,” many domestic animals with short spine syndrome live a “close to normal lifespan.”
According to Petco, some dogs with the syndrome experience little to no discomfort and live active lives, while others can develop nerve compression or intervertebral disc issues that cause pain.
Jimothy’s popularity has spread quickly online. One Instagram user commented on Hall’s post, “I love him so bad.” Another wrote, “This is the type of creature a goblin would ride around.”
Cartoonist Matthew Inman, known as The Oatmeal, also shared a “police sketch” of Jimothy. A subreddit dedicated to the raccoon was created on July 16 and had 6,100 weekly visitors as of July 17, according to USA TODAY.
The subreddit description reads: “Jimothy the Round, King of Seattle and the Racoons, Raider of Trash Bins, first of his name. Post your sightings, thoughts, memes, fan art, etc.”
Members are encouraged not to share Jimothy’s location. USA TODAY also reported that Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control says chocolate, coffee, avocado, onions, garlic and processed sugars can be dangerous for raccoons.
Logsdon said people should leave Jimothy alone.
“He seems to be doing reasonably well where he’s at, so that’s what we would recommend for him,” she said. “He can just keep living his little Jimothy life. If you do see Jimothy, take your pictures, take your video … but I would just recommend that people avoid that instinct to try to jump in and help. Any attempts to offer him food or supplemental feed or anything like that are more likely to cause harm than do good.”
Read more from USA Today.
