A Fisherman Spots a Raccoon in Trouble
As fisherman Steve with Key West Kayak Fishing was out for a day of fun and adventure in Florida waters, he caught something in the corner of his eye. For a minute or so, Steve observed what looked like a fish from a distance.
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When he got closer, Steve noticed that the animal seemed more like a dog than a fish until the animal’s tail became more visible. It was a raccoon!
Baby Raccoon Struggles to Survive
The baby raccoon was all alone in the large body of water. It was only a matter of time before the sharks would come around.
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Steve paddled closer to the animal and parked his kayak for the Raccoon to hang on to. After about 30 seconds of clinging to it, the baby raccoon pushed itself into the canoe.
Baby Raccoon Finds a Nice Spot to Sleep
Upon getting on the kayak, the raccoon tried to figure out a nice spot to lay its head. The animal squeezed and folded itself in Steve’s tackle box and soon fell deeply asleep.
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It just survived the cold, dangerous ocean and easily burrowed into Steve’s safe tackle box for a quick nap.
Super Exhausted
No one knows how long the young raccoon struggled in the water before Steve came to the rescue. It could have been a few minutes or even hours.
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We can guess, however, that the animal must have swum for at least 6 hours. This is because raccoons are nocturnal, and this one instantly fell asleep once on the kayak. Interestingly, the baby raccoon was so deeply asleep that Steve couldn’t wake it up.
The Tired Raccoon Wanted More Than a Short Nap
Even when Steve reached the nearest island, where he intended to drop off the raccoon, it refused to wake up.
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Swimming for a long time is exhausting, even for the most experienced swimmer, let alone a raccoon. The journey had tired the animal out, and it remained in Steve’s tackle box as it tried to get some more sleep.
Steve Gives His Visitor Some More Sleep Time
Steve’s fishing plans have been interrupted by his visitor, but he had to get on with it while the raccoon gets sufficient rest. After hours of fishing, Steve made his way to Big Pine Key island.
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Steve paddled all the way so he would not wake the sleeping animal with the sounds of his outboard engine. On the way, he caught some fish for his little friend.
Finally Home at Big Pine Key
The sun was setting on the horizon when Steve finally pulled up to Big Pine Key. At this moment, the red sun seemed to touch the sea at the other end.
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The baby raccoon wasn’t awake to witness this beautiful scene. It was still fast asleep as Steve came off the kayak.
Steve Finally Got the Raccoon to Wake Up
After standing a while on the shore, an idea struck him. What if the raccoon was still unsure whether it had reached land?
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Steve then pulled the blue-colored kayak completely out of the water to give the sleeping beauty a solid reassurance of land. It worked because it woke up once it got used to the boat being steady on land.
Tired and Hungry!
After what must have seemed like ages out on the water, the raccoon was super hungry; probably the hungriest it had ever been.
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Steve was gracious enough to give the baby animal some fish he had caught earlier. As he fed and watched the raccoon, Steve knew it would soon be time for them to part ways.
Am I Really Safe Now?
When the animal saw more land than water, it stepped out of the kayak. For about 10 seconds, the animal looked around its new environment, still unsure of its location.
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It took a while before the raccoon could come to terms with the hard feel of the land. When it did, it wasted no time speeding up a small hill.
Steve’s Video Goes Viral
Steve filmed his encounter with the raccoon from the point where he discovered the animal till when it sped off into the darkness. When he released the video online, he wasn’t expecting as much of the reactions it got.
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The video soon went viral, and thousands of views soon turned into millions. The baby raccoon boosted his YouTube page and made Steve a little more popular. Currently, the video has attracted over 3 million views!
Lots of Praise for His Compassion
There were lots of comments from Steve’s YouTube viewers. These comments were filled with praise for Steve’s compassion and sacrifice in rescuing the raccoon.
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One viewer, Josh Brookes, wrote, “I can’t imagine the physical endurance it must have taken to paddle that distance standing up.” “You, sir, have a big heart and a gentle soul,” the comment continued.
More Accolades For The Kind Gesture
More comments thanked Steve for his patience and consideration. “Thank you so much for your patience! Not a lot of people would have had that much patience for a wild animal to rest up. We need more people like you in this world,” said 13CrazyDaises.
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One Toni Rodriguez said, “Raccoons are nocturnal. That little guy was up all night and swimming until you rescued him. What a nice man you are.”
Steve Would Love to Save More Stranded Raccoons
In his YouTube videos, Steve documents his kayaking journeys and fishing trips across the waters of Florida. He gives a guided tour of the area, providing viewers with useful and interesting information about the Florida Keys Area.
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Steve truly has a big heart. There’s no doubt that he won’t hesitate to rescue a million other raccoons in need.