The mama was looking for a safe spot for her babies ❤️
A few years ago, a Toronto homeowner began hearing strange sounds coming from the window well outside his basement. Curious and concerned, he went to take a look — and was surprised to find a mother raccoon curled up there with her babies.
The homeowner thought the little family was cute and didn’t mind having them nearby, but he knew the window well wasn’t a safe place for them to stay. He also wanted to avoid frightening the mother or putting anyone at risk. Hoping they would leave on their own, he turned on the basement lights, but the raccoons didn’t move.
After realizing they needed help, the homeowner contacted Gates Wildlife Control. When Cassandra Gates arrived, she quickly spotted the mother raccoon and her tiny babies inside the cramped space.
Gates could tell the mother was in a difficult and vulnerable position. Carefully, she used a grabber to lift one of the babies from the window well. As soon as she did, the frightened mother ran off toward the woods.
But Gates wasn’t alarmed. She knew the mother raccoon hadn’t abandoned her babies — she had only been scared by the situation and would almost certainly return once things were quiet again.
One by one, Gates gently moved the babies into a small box. The box acted like a temporary nursery, keeping the little raccoons safe while still allowing their mother to reach in and carry them away when she came back. The opening was small enough to stop the babies from wandering off on their own.
Once they were together inside the box, the babies quickly settled down. Comforted by one another, they even began to wiggle around and play a little.
Gates placed the box close to the window well and then left the property so the mother would feel safe returning. The next day, when she came back to check on them, the box was empty.
After looking at footage from a camera she had set up, Gates confirmed exactly what she had expected: the mother raccoon had returned shortly after everyone left. She carefully collected each of her babies and moved them to a safer den.
Because the homeowner noticed the problem and called the right people for help, the little raccoon family was able to leave the window well behind and start over somewhere much safer.