WOODBURY, Conn. (WJAR) — A Connecticut man has become quite close with a raccoon that has been visiting him daily for over a year.
Dick Clark, 82, has lived on nearly three acres of land that lines a land trust for years.
He’s always enjoyed feeding the birds, and the nature that surrounds him, but last year, something unexpected happened.
“I was sitting outside on my back patio in a lounge chair, smoking a cigar because I don’t smoke in the house, this raccoon just came walking up to me, just strutted up, stood there, looked at me, didn’t run, didn’t do anything,” he said. “I was memorized on her ability to get that close to me.”
From then on, the raccoon began to visit every night at his home for the next month.
“I don’t know if she felt comfortable with me, but then she came back with five babies after a month of bonding, let’s say, with myself,” he said. “I was intrigued that a wild animal would have that much confidence in someone, or a person who may be a threat to them, but somehow or another I think they have a sense that they can tell whether a person is approachable or not.”
Clark began leaving grapes and marshmallows out for the raccoons.
Eventually in November, they went into the woods for their deep sleep.
He wondered if they would return, and to his surprise, one did.
“Several weeks ago I was sitting out there and sure enough here comes this female, young raccoon, who obviously had given birth recently and she came right up to me again, I think it was one of the babies from the first time,” said Clark. “After two or three weeks then she got up in my lap, but I didn’t want her to get any closer than that because she’s still a wild animal”
The raccoon, once again, visits him each night between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Clark has a motion-censored security camera, so when he gets an alert that she’s out there, he makes his way to his chair to spend some time with her.
Several of their visits have been captured and documented by his family.
“When she doesn’t show up for a day or two, which is very rare, I actually get quite worried. Did she get hit by a car? Or did another large animal attack her? But she always shows up a day or two later,” he said. “You get the same feeling, or at least I do anyways, of having one of your kids out in high school who didn’t come home at curfew, didn’t call mom or dad, it’s the same feeling but I realize humans are here, animals are here, and it’s always going to be that way.”
Clark said he understands that feeding wildlife is not advised, and the potential dangers he faces with coming into contact with a wild animal.
He said he’s always on the look out for a change in her behavior, and he monitors her well-maintained fur. He makes sure to wash his hands frequently as well.
“There’s two reactions. Most people are amazed these animals are so friendly or attracted to humans, other people say, ‘What’re you doing that for? You’re going to ruin them, that’s not their environment,’ but they are in their environment. The most important thing is it just keeps me occupied. I enjoy doing it,” he said.
“It’s become a hobby or sort of a pastime. I’ve always loved animals,” he said. “It’s my therapy I think. I wear a glove on my right hand to give her the grapes and marshmallows and she gently takes the things out of my hand. I don’t need to use the glove but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”