I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 744 - 743 Birds of a Feather

Fang Ye asked, “Where is this place where the cat food is put? Can you take us there to have a look?”

“No problem!”

Under the enthusiastic guidance of the aunty, they reached a cat food feeding spot.

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“Here, put an infrared camera on this tree!”

Wang Yan directed the students to set up cameras and make adjustments, while Fang Ye chatted with the aunty, “Where do the common raccoon dogs usually live? Have you ever seen them before?”

The aunty shook her head, “I’m not sure where they live, and I’ve never seen them before.”

However, even if they had seen them before, they might have mistaken them for Little Black dogs, as the general public doesn’t pay much attention to wild animals.

Following the residents’ guidance, infrared cameras were set up in areas of the community where the common raccoon dogs were often spotted.

Next to a hole at the base of a wall, Wang Yan made a discovery and called over to Fang Ye, “Look at this!”

He used a stick to poke at a carcass on the ground, which could barely be identified as a young cat; only its head and tail remained while the midsection had been hollowed out.

“Was it eaten by a common raccoon dog?”

“It’s possible!”

Fang Ye asked curiously, “What is this hole for?”

Wang Yan had seen common raccoon dogs hiding in such holes before, and had specifically gone to learn about them.

He explained that Linhai is near the sea with a high groundwater level. To prevent water seepage in the first-floor apartments, some buildings have a raised layer about one meter high under the first floor through which pipes can run. These raised layers each have a ventilation port on one side of the building.

For common raccoon dogs, these raised layers are like natural caves, sheltering them from wind and rain and providing a hiding place from danger.

Neighborhoods with these ventilation ports are undoubtedly more attractive to common raccoon dogs, especially with people regularly placing cat food. No wonder there are so many common raccoon dogs in this community.

Believing that common raccoon dogs lived there, the group quietly hid behind some shrubbery, ready to observe.

Sure enough, after waiting for about ten minutes, a common raccoon dog peeked out from the vent, looking around vigilantly while lifting its nose to sniff the air and identify the scents around it.

Seemingly sensing something amiss, it quickly withdrew back into the hole.

Another smaller common raccoon dog’s head emerged from the hole, this little one quite bold, looking around openly.

The adult common raccoon dog, not yet certain that the environment was safe, quickly pushed the little one back in.

After the adult raccoon dog decided there was no danger, seven or eight little raccoon dogs followed, filing out one by one.

The little raccoon dogs differed markedly in size from the adult ones, resembling plump little dogs, with their bodies a glossy black and faint white marks on their faces and necks.

They chased each other near the entrance of the burrow as if they were little children out for a physical education class.

Some little raccoon dogs ran back and forth, while others playfully bit at their companions, clearly enjoying themselves.

After all the little ones had emerged, another adult raccoon dog appeared, the two adults were likely their parents.

As the little raccoon dogs played and frolicked, the raccoon dog parents stood quietly to the side, looking around, watching over their children.

There is an idiom called “one burrow’s raccoon dogs,” which accurately describes the sight of raccoon dogs emerging and being active together.

Wang Yan said, “There were reports before about someone’s dog suddenly being attacked by a raccoon dog while out for a walk. It’s the raccoon dog’s breeding season now, and it’s likely that they encountered a raccoon dog with its cubs, which felt threatened.”

This guess was likely spot on, as raccoon dogs wouldn’t attack dogs without a reason, especially since dogs are not their food.

Moreover, when people walk their dogs at night, they often don’t use leashes, allowing the dogs more freedom to move around and potentially get close to raccoon dogs. If raccoon dogs can’t escape, it’s only natural they would fight.

Dogs as pets bicker upon meeting each other, barking incessantly until pulled apart by their owners on leashes, let alone encountering a wild raccoon dog.

A little raccoon dog had strayed a bit far!

Noticing someone hiding behind the bushes observing it, the little raccoon dog curiously watched the human in return.

The pups were probably around two months old by now and should be quite sensitive, quick to run at the slightest rustle. However, having grown up in a human-free environment, they seemed reckless and curious, and even seemed to want to come closer and sniff around.

The raccoon dog mother came over and, seeing the person, was clearly startled, quickly picking up her cub in her mouth and running back; the raccoon dog father also called to the other little ones, anxiously, and the whole family quickly scurried back into their burrow.

Wang Yan said, “Let’s go, let’s check out another place.”

On the way, they encountered another raccoon dog in the grass!

This raccoon dog was focused on eating the leaves, turning its head around only when it heard footsteps and felt the ground vibration.

It didn’t immediately panic and flee because it noticed Fang Ye and the others standing still three meters away.

After a careful look, seemingly deciding there was no danger, it continued eating with relish.

The boldness and intelligence of the raccoon dog was also why they could quickly adapt to the city!

Had it not been busy eating, it might have even approached them out of curiosity, to explore.

Fang Ye, stroking his chin, said, “This raccoon dog is pretty bold! It’s not panicking at all with so many of us staring.”

Wang Yan said, “Raccoon dogs are nocturnal animals and usually only active at night. Now that it’s confidently coming out during the day, showing no wariness towards people, their habits are slowly changing.”

Being active during the day also meant they had more time to search for food.

After setting up the infrared cameras, it was nearly evening, and everyone had dinner nearby.

As night fell, dark figures with shining eyes began to appear around the neighborhood.

When raccoon dogs had conflicts over food, they would growl at each other in low tones.

The daytime cat food feeding spot was now surrounded by many raccoon dogs. The moment the flashlight shone on them, five or six raccoon dogs backed away, but a few continued to munch on the cat food unabashedly, unafraid of their presence.

More raccoon dogs were stirring in the shadows, ready to approach.

Seeing the cat food, Fang Ye clicked his tongue and said, “Wow, who fed them all this cat food? That’s got to be several pounds, right?”