Baby Raccoon Spotted At Roosevelt Island Community Garden - Feasts On Grapes, Takes A Dip In Pond And Relaxes With A Sunday Afternoon Nap

Roosevelt Island resident Joyce Short shares this photo and reports on a new member of the Roosevelt Island Co:mmunity Garden.

At first I thought it was a cat as it rustled over my head in my grape arbor at the Roosevelt Island Community Garden last Sunday afternoon.

The rings on its tail signaled "alarm" and I skedaddled out from underneath.

Content with its fill of grapes, it descended for a dip in my pond, then sidled over to a neighboring cottonwood, at the middle of the community garden, to settle down for a midday nap.

Some gardeners explained that it lost its habitat when two trees were felled to make way for the new water tunnel roadway. What better alternative than a veritable fresh pantry with no natural predators!

Others I spoke to were aware we have raccoons. I was not, but I'm not shocked by it. I'd seen a big raccoon diving into a dumpster at Costco and actually had one sit under the table next to me at an outdoor restaurant in Astoria. Little wonder we have them here on Roosevelt Island!

This raccoon looks very healthy.... has a pretty, dense coat. I'm told it's a female, about 6 months old, who lost her mother.