It all began with an innocuous video shared by Seattle resident Kiana Hall on Instagram.<\/p>\n
“What am I looking at?” Hall could be heard exclaiming, as the unusual-looking raccoon hurtles across a pavement and up some nearby steps.<\/p>\n
A caption alongside it referred to the creature as “Jimothy the raccoon with short spine syndrome”.<\/p>\n
While it is not known for sure if the condition has caused his appearance, many have assumed as such, and the description has stuck.<\/p>\n
As Hall’s Instagram reel spread, it attracted more and more likes, comments and reposts, with more than eight million views as of Friday morning.<\/p>\n
“My brother was talking about Jimothy the other day, and I asked him who he is,” reads one comment on Hall’s video. “He told me Jimothy would find me, and now he has.”<\/p>\n
Some users have also praised the raccoon’s online fame for drawing attention to spine conditions.<\/p>\n
“I hope that someone can care for Jimothy as a wild animal… he will get older and need more care,” wrote one user, who said she had been born with a congenital spine syndrome.<\/p>\n