Minnesota Man Found Blood on the Road. Then He Found a Raccoon Staring Back at Him.

Roadkill is one of the worst things to find when driving on a highway. Ethan Frankamp of SaveAFox Rescue (@saveafox) thought it was too late when he saw a bloody raccoon on the pavement. But then, the creature looked back at him.

“I turned around, got him off the road, and assessed the situation,” Frankamp said. He noticed that the animal had blood dripping out of its nose. Frankamp didn’t have a kennel with him at the time. But because he couldn’t bear to leave the raccoon in the state it was in, Frankamp still took it in his vehicle.

The creature wouldn’t stay still, and it tried to climb the blankets in the car. Eventually, it rested on top of one of the seats. Frankamp was twelve minutes away from the nearest pet store but was unfamiliar with his location.

@saveafox

Come along, as we rescue this adorable little baby that was sitting in the middle of the highway. ? Just a reminder, stopping to see if they are okay only takes a few minutes for you but it can change their entire life! I had been driving for 8 hours and I just wanted to get home, but I am so glad I stopped to help. Trying to remind myself “What would Mikayla do?” and trying to follow through ? Huge thank you to the volunteers here at Saveafox for finding placement snd getting this little cutie to Wild and Free, so he gets another shot at being a wild raccoon! ? As always, everything we do costs money and it costs a LOT, so if you are able to make any donations it would be so appreciated! Head to our website Saveafox dot org, and donate or geab some merch too!

♬ Reflection on Peace – Adauto Assis

“I have no idea where I am, but we have a little man here,” he said of the creature. Raccoons are notorious for digging through trashcans and tearing things up with their sharp claws. Nevertheless, Frankamp left the creature alone in his truck and headed to the pet store to grab a portable kennel.

Perhaps it was because the creature got hit, but the raccoon was rather tame. It entered the kennel without a hitch.

Not the smoothest raccoon rescue

“You want to know what the most inconvenient part about this raccoon rescue has been?” Frankamp had been met with an unexpected rescue mission. But it turns out, he had to make some serious personal sacrifice on his part as well.

“I have to poop so bad. I’ve had to poop for a while now, and I was gonna stop at the next gas station, but then I had a wild baby raccoon in my truck, and I’m not gonna stop for that,” Frankamp said. It’s not everyday that people talk about needing to go to the bathroom for a number two online. Talking about pooping, let alone witnessing explosive diarrhea in a TJ Maxx, could make anyone else’s food crawl back into their throats.

But Frankamp’s situation is unique in that he’s prioritizing the care of a raccoon over making a stopover. The creature appeared lethargic, and while some humans might not even spare the raccoon a glance, it would be out of the ordinary for a wildlife rescuer to turn a blind eye. Even though the pull of a good bathroom was strong, Frankamp pressed on and held it in.

As he was driving, even the raccoon took a poop in its crate. But they eventually made it home, and Frankamp placed the raccoon in a spacious cage.

A successful rescue mission

“Poor little guy really got his head rocked, but after he had a little time to recover, we gave him a little bit of food and sent him on his way to a rehab facility,” Frankamp said. Despite the mishaps he experienced, Frankamp said that he was glad to have helped the creature.

“And this goes to show that you can help an animal on the road, even if you don’t have the proper equipment,” he added. Frankamp showed a clip of the rehabilitated raccoon, and it was eating grapes with others in an open facility. The raccoon will be released once it gets older.

(featured images: SaveAFox Rescue)

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