“She decided to surprise us …”
Injured Raccoon Rescued From Highway Surprises Her Caretakers With an Easter Miracle
Two months ago, on a quiet Virginia highway, countless drivers sped past a small, furry shape lying motionless on the shoulder. But one man, Mr. Beasley, sensed something was wrong — and chose to stop.
What he found was heartbreaking: an injured raccoon, barely clinging to life and unable to move. Without hesitation, Mr. Beasley called Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge (EWR) and waited with the animal until help arrived.
“[N]o doubt, others [had] seen her laying there,” EWR wrote later. “But one person decided to make a difference.”
EWR’s rescue team rushed to the scene, gently collected the raccoon, and gave her a name fitting of her hero — Beasley.
At the refuge, a medical team confirmed she’d likely been hit by a car. Her eye was badly damaged, her arm possibly broken, and she couldn’t stand. But Beasley was given pain relief, round-the-clock care, and, for the first time in a long time, comfort and safety.
Then came a surprise no one saw coming.
A full month into her recovery — on Easter Sunday — Beasley gave birth to three tiny pups.
“When she first came in, we had a sonogram done,” EWR explained. “But unfortunately, the pregnancy was so early, we did not detect it.”
Her caretakers may have been caught off guard, but Beasley wasn’t. Instinct kicked in immediately, and the once-fragile raccoon became a fierce, protective mom.
“After having the babies, she has become quite protective and quite aggressive,” EWR shared.
Knowing that new moms need privacy, the staff carefully moved Beasley and her newborns to an outdoor enclosure. There, surrounded by nature and safety, Beasley is raising her little family — a far cry from the cold pavement she was found on just weeks earlier.
Beasley and her pups will stay under EWR’s care for the next year until they’re ready to be released back into the wild — healthy, strong, and together.
Because one kind man stopped to help, a mother was saved — and so were her babies.