Daily cute – Newborn raccoon at the Debrecen Zoo – PHOTOS

Since the Debrecen Zoo is home to the largest zoo population of raccoons in Hungary, it comes as no surprise that they welcomed a newborn raccoon once again.

Born after a 65-day gestation period, little Simon had an initial weight of only 63 grams. He is being hand-raised by keepers but, nevertheless, he is in good health and has an excellent appetite, now weighing half a kilo. 

Born completely blind, baby raccoons are to be treated much like human babies as they require regular bathing, nursing and feeding. For now, Simon is exclusively fed kitten formula every two hours.

Best recognized by their iconic black-and-white striped tails and black “masks,” raccoons (Procyon lotor) are one of the 18 species belonging to the family Procyionidae. 

They are native to the Americas, specifically the areas with bodies of water nearby, but they also began to heavily populate Europe, especially Germany, in the 1930s.