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50 Times Trash Pandas Acted So Cute Or Funny, People Just Had To Document It And Share It Online
We here at Bored Panda salute our adorable and wily cousins, the trash pandas, with this awesome list. But you probably know these animals by their proper names, dear Readers—raccoons. Check out the hilarious and cute pics of raccoons we’ve collected for your enjoyment and don’t forget to upvote your fave photos as you scroll on down. When you’re done, have a look at our earlier post about adorable raccoons right here.
Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Suzanne MacDonald from the Department of Psychology at York University, in Toronto, who has done research with raccoons and who was kind enough to tell us about these interesting animals.
She pointed out that the best way to enjoy the company of raccoons if they ever show up near your house is to practice social distancing. “Give them space, don’t feed them, and just enjoy their antics from a safe distance. If you feed them, they will come—and they will tell their friends. You will regret it, trust me!” she said. Read on for our full interview with Dr. MacDonald.
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My Coworkers Dog Taco And His Pet Raccoon
Raccoons Like My Post, You Should Too
Just In Case You Were Having A Bad Day Look How Happy This Raccoon Is With His Stuffed Raccoon
Dr. MacDonald told us more about her raccoon-research and how it showed that urban raccoons were much more likely than rural raccoons to approach and figure out problems involving hidden food. What’s more, urban raccoons came up with more strategies and spent more time figuring things out.
“I wouldn’t say that makes them ‘smarter,’ but it certainly does make urban raccoons more likely to be able to open trash cans and get into our attics than rural raccoons. I can’t say whether these differences are innate or whether urban raccoons learn how to do those things, so the next step is to compare baby urban and rural raccoons on the same tasks to see if the differences exist from birth. This is easier said than done so it is taking several years to collect enough data,” she went into detail about her research.
Once In A Lifetime .... Albino Raccoon Found On Our Vacation In Texas
Trash Pandas Found At Work
So I Set My Deer Feeder High Off The Ground So The Raccoons Couldn't Reach It
But just how smart are raccoons and how do they compare to human beings and animals like dogs? Well, Dr. MacDonald stressed the fact that it’s very difficult to compare things across species, especially when we’re talking about something as hard to define as intelligence.
“A researcher over 100 years ago did a memory test to compare dogs, monkeys, raccoons, and children, and he claimed that the raccoons and kids were the smartest! Certainly, raccoons are not evil geniuses, and they don’t compare with humans in terms of brainpower. Dogs are pretty special, too, because they evolved with humans and so are exquisitely tuned to human behavior. Raccoons have their own kind of smarts, not really the same as any other animal,” she said.
When You Realize You Don't Want To Be Responsible For Anything Anymore And You Just Want To Nap And Be Small
Our 93 Year Old Neighbor Passed Away On Sunday. Apparently He Was Feeding These Little Sweeties. Now They Come To Our Door. My Husband Is The New Proud Father Of These 4 Trash Pandas
For Me?
Raccoons are curious, have very dexterous, nimble hands, and can squish their spines down to get into small spaces. So trash pandas (at least the urban variety) are able to open fridge doors and Tupperware, unzip tents, and even turn doorknobs. Though the latter takes a lot of effort, raccoons seem to have one-upped aliens from movies who seem baffled by doorknobs.
Why would anyone call raccoons trash pandas? Like a lot of things, it all started with an accurate but wayward comment on social media. Way back in 2014, redditor CarlPeligro left a comment stating "Raccoons = trash pandas" and it all snowballed from there.
When you think about it, the name fits, doesn’t it? Raccoons really do love going through trashcans. Meanwhile, they look a lot like black and white versions of red pandas (just keep in mind that they’re not actually related to panda bears despite their name), and voilà, you’ve got yourself a very strong reason to call raccoons trash pandas. We just hope they take it as a compliment of their skills. Trashcans are hard to open when you're as small as a raccoon, after all.
You Forgot To Pick Me Up From Practice
The Cookie Jar Bandit
Trash Panda On Its Way To The Promised Land
The Situation At My Friends Apartment Right Now
Found A Raccoon In This Exact Position
This Guilty Raccoon
My Sister Sent Me This Pic Of A Trash Panda Hanging Out In Her Neighbor's Gutter
Best Day Ever, Took A Lot To Pull Myself Away
While Taking Wedding Photos In The Park, We Were Visited By A Friendly Family Of Trash Pandas! They Checked Us Out For A Few Minutes, Then Went On Their Way
Inviting A Few Friends Over For Dinner
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others
Be honest, if you were small enough to sleep in a pile of kittens, you know you would.
"A Raccoon Introduces His Shy And Hairless Brother To His Friends"
Poor thing. It must be tough to survive without the protection of fur.
Little Trash Panda's First Steps Into Fine Arts
Happy Halloween, Everyone
A Rare Shot Of Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Casting Call
Found This Picture Of Me And My Pet Raccoon Fishing Together. He'd Wait For Me To Catch And Reel In A Fish So He Could Grab It And Eat It
This Fat Fool Had To Be Rescued By Animal Control
That Is A Racoon Riding A Javelina
What Taking Care Of 4 Trash Pandas Is Really Like
He Was So Ashamed Of Needing Human Help
Paint Me Like One Of Your French Trash Pandas
If You're Having A Bad Day Just Go Outside, Maybe You'll Stumble Upon Some Adorable Trash Pandas
In 200 Feet, Turn Right At The Intersection
Baby Raccoon Hiding From Me
He Snack And Get Fat. But Most Importantly - Don't Fit Down Crack
I'm Listening
Chillin
We Ran Into Some Wild Raccoons In Chicago. There Were About 7 Of Them! They Are Fans Of Cheese Puffs
I Came Home Last Night To Find This Thief Just Standing There Menacingly
Trying To Hydrate, Nothing To See Here
Look At Them
Trash Panda So Cute
This Weird Cat Wanted To Float Today, I Couldn't Say No
Paul unknowingly let the wild raccoon crawl onto this chest. This is the last photo of Paul with a bottom lip.
Sorry Amazon. I Didn’t Order A Raccoon
Yes Ma'am, I'm Sure It's Raccoons In Your Attic
we have mice in our attic at the moment and they are soooo loud. I literally cant imagine the amount of noise racoons would make!
An Actual Picture Taken Of My Fiancée And Her Sister In 2001
Pure, Cozy Bliss
Had No Idea These Grew On Trees
Sharing Cheetos With The Underground
When You Hear A Wild Bit Of Gossip
You Probably Can't See The Trash Panda In This Picture Because He's So Good At Hiding But I Assure You There Is A Trash Panda In This Pic
Who Did It Better?
Note To Self: If You Meet Friendly Trash-Pandas And They Like The Smell Of Your Shampoo They Will Fight Over Your Head
Act Natural
Trash Panda Reflecting On The Choices That LED Him To This Embarrassing Moment
But Why?
So, This Mutt, Pug And A Raccoon Walked Into A Bar
The Raccoon
Lazy Little Trash Panda At My Apartment
But What If
Now I want to know if he let him in.... I hate an unfinished story :-)
Here's A Picture Of Miss Lucy In A Bag
The Other One Is Still Here, Just Too Heavy For My Daughter To Pick Them Up At Once Now
First, They Wanted Our Garbage, Now They Want To Participate In Our Financial System
We've Been Raising A Baby Raccoon And Its Become Our Dogs Best Friend
What Is He Doing?
Sorry, It's Only A 2 Player Game
Love the guy lying on the arms of the couch so as not to disturb the fat panda....
This Little Fella Looks Straight Out Of A Children Movie
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Don't Worry About The Snow, Trash Panda Is Here To Snowplow
This Gentleman Was Apprehended Today While Committing A Burglary Of A Vending Machine At Pine Ridge High School
There's Never A Warning. Just Happens
They Call This The Daddy Chair, But They're Mistaken. It's The Baxter Chair
Neighbors Came By To Say Hi
Found A Trash Panda Taking A Rest On My Deck Last Night
Baby Trash Pandas
One Goofy Raccoon
Omg - See Who Is Driving My Car
I Cook Some Soup For Lunch
More Knowledgeable Than Most Yoga Instructors
You Might Remember About A Year Ago, I Posted My Grandma's Friend Sweet Pea. Well, This Is Her New Performing Visitor, Coco. She Likes To Climb Up And Then Slide All The Way Down
Not Lazy. At All
Bath Time
Talented Boy
My Grandma Sent Me This Photo Of These Damn Raccoons Eating Her Bird Feed
That Time Pumps Really Didn’t Want A Bath
Snacks For A Little Guy
Walked Over To My Desk Today And Found An Unexpected Visitor
He's A Curious Little Fella
Sup
Fat Trash Pandas Are The Best Trash Pandas
When You Put A Lock On Your Trash Cans
This Raccoon Peeping Thru My Dad's Window At His Raccoon Figurines
Raccoon That Snuck Into My House Sits In My Chair Like A Human
Old Russian Mama
All I Need Is A Cold Beer And I'm Good To Go
A Colorado Springs Police Department Officer Was On His Way To A Serious Accident When This Little Guy Jumped Up On His Windshield
He pulled over and the raccoon went on his way.
Trash Panda
Trash Panda Mid-Mlem
"Yup. I Knew It!". "Okay, Okay, You Caught Me, But Is Shoving Your Entire Head In My Mouth Necessary?". "I Don't Mess Around When Dealing With Taco Thieves"
Do you ever just look at someone and wonder...WhAt Is GoInG oN iNsIdE tHeIr HeAdS?
My Dad Caught This Great Photo Last Spring, Just Stumbled Upon It This Morning
I See Your Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit And Raise You A Baby Trash Panda
Felt Like I Was Being Watched This Morning
This Raccoon Does Not Like Pickles
"Fact: Bears Eat Beets"
Waiting For Me To Leave So He Can Eat The Bird Seed
I Had A Pet Raccoon When I Was A Kid. His Name Was Buck
The Council
Pick Me, Pick Me
Gary The Trash Panda Visits My Dad At Work
Chunky Raccoon Stuck In The Door To His House (He Gets In)
My Dad Made A New Friend Today
in my city there was a family of trash pandas that lived outside the public libary.
Just Chillin’ On My Patio
“Good Meeting, Everyone. Get Back To Work. That Trash Isn’t Going To Move Itself”
Bonus Picture Of Our Porch Dweller
Trash Panda Teefies
Ok, You Push The Pedals And I've Got The Wheel
And What Is He Doing?
"No Pictures Please!"
Nosey Trash Panda
Good Boy Found In Raccoon Sanctuary In Germany
From National Geographic: Brought to Germany for their fur in the 1930s, raccoons have since proliferated across much of Europe. ... Island ecosystems are especially vulnerable to invasive carnivores such as raccoons. Raccoons were introduced to the Caribbean islands as early as 1650. Raccoons are native to North America.
Cheeks
Trash Panda Selfie
Going On A Short Drive. This Is Where She Thought She'd Get The Best Nap
Where Are You Taking Me, Karen? I Hope Not To The Vet, We Talked About It
Not Sure Why But She Keeps Ringing The Doorbell Every Morning About Three
Look At This Sweet Baby That Was Trying To Come Into My Work Today
This Trash Panda Eating Peanut Butter
Inspector Is Furrier Than I Remember
Spotted This Little Guy Having A Feast
A Raccoon Somehow Ended Up On The Public Bus In Town
My Mom's Rescue Trash Panda Is In Love With Her Foster Kitten. They Don't Leave Each Other's Sides
Our Neighborhood Trash Panda, Chillin
Peanut Butter Jar And A Trash Connoisseur (Aka Trash Panda)
”Ahem, Excuse Me..."
It's A Baby
Trash Pandas Are Best Trash Pandas
Can I Have A Snack?
Couple Of Fatties At Busan Raccoon Cafe
Who Else Eats Their Bananas Like This?
Break Time
Tongue Out
One Eyed Raccoon Staying Out Of The Rain. Slept On My Buddy’s Porch All Day
The People I'm Working For Are Raising This Little Trash Panda
A Rare Trash Panda Blep
Cheers
Who Else Is Already Thinking About Their Halloween Costumes?
When You Shouldn’t Have Gone Back For That Fourth Plate! Oh Wait Where’s The Dessert!
When Your Dad Cooks Food And You Try To Act Like It Tastes Good
Spotted This Little Guy Holding On For Dear Life On My Way To Work This Morning
Trash Panda Joins Pizza Party
A Very Polite Raccoon
Came Up To Me Hoping For Some Fries
What Are We Gonna Do Toooday?
The Smartest Raccoon In The World. On His Way To Trashtopia
This Little Guy In A Raccoon Cafe Just Couldn't Find A Comfy Spot
Hello
Hi
These Two Fatties At The Toronto Zoo
"What’s This?" - Party Animal
Daytime Stretching With A Raccoon
The Friendly Neighborhood Panda
I love these pictures, but here is something that popped out at me as an Alaskan. DO NOT FEED WILD ANMALS. Yes, they are cute. Yes they come to your door. But they are wild animals that are ment to hunt and forage for food. If you feed them, they will start to depend on humans more and more and lose those natural instincts. Take pictures, adopt injured ones, BUT NEVER EVER HAND FEED THEM!! Thank you!! - A Alaskan who knows A LOT abot wildlife!
What? People don't find them cute? I loveee racoons. it's my dream to see one in real life :(
They're SUPER cute, but 'In the U.S., 90% of all rabies cases occur in wildlife. During 2000, raccoon rabies made up 41% of wildlife cases diagnosed with skunks, bats and foxes making up the balance. ' So for your sake and theirs, prolly don't feed em.
How about we call them bandit pandas instead of trash pandas? Who's with me?
Raccoons aren't pets and unless you're a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, you shouldn't have one.
I wish someone would adopt that naked one. I worry he won't survive the winter. 😥
If we had these in the UK i would definitely end up feeding the. Theyre so cute.
I am so jealous of you having these little guys on your doorstop. I live in Ireland. We don't have racoons here in Ireland. 😢😢😢😢
These are adorable, but raccoons are not pets. If you find a wild raccoon that is hurt you should call animal control and let them handle it. Raccoons are meant to be in the wild, not as domestic pets.
I like raccoons, and I think they're adorable, but for some reason, I don't like the term "Trash Panda." What's wrong with their real name? Keep in mind, this is just my opinion, and I won't stop anyone from calling them Trash Pandas if you want to. I'm just curious.
I love these pictures, but here is something that popped out at me as an Alaskan. DO NOT FEED WILD ANMALS. Yes, they are cute. Yes they come to your door. But they are wild animals that are ment to hunt and forage for food. If you feed them, they will start to depend on humans more and more and lose those natural instincts. Take pictures, adopt injured ones, BUT NEVER EVER HAND FEED THEM!! Thank you!! - A Alaskan who knows A LOT abot wildlife!
What? People don't find them cute? I loveee racoons. it's my dream to see one in real life :(
They're SUPER cute, but 'In the U.S., 90% of all rabies cases occur in wildlife. During 2000, raccoon rabies made up 41% of wildlife cases diagnosed with skunks, bats and foxes making up the balance. ' So for your sake and theirs, prolly don't feed em.
How about we call them bandit pandas instead of trash pandas? Who's with me?
Raccoons aren't pets and unless you're a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, you shouldn't have one.
I wish someone would adopt that naked one. I worry he won't survive the winter. 😥
If we had these in the UK i would definitely end up feeding the. Theyre so cute.
I am so jealous of you having these little guys on your doorstop. I live in Ireland. We don't have racoons here in Ireland. 😢😢😢😢
These are adorable, but raccoons are not pets. If you find a wild raccoon that is hurt you should call animal control and let them handle it. Raccoons are meant to be in the wild, not as domestic pets.
I like raccoons, and I think they're adorable, but for some reason, I don't like the term "Trash Panda." What's wrong with their real name? Keep in mind, this is just my opinion, and I won't stop anyone from calling them Trash Pandas if you want to. I'm just curious.