a misnomer since it’s based out of her
two-storey home in an otherwise stan-
dard residential neighbourhood. But if
anyone were to take a closer look at her
backyard, they’d see that three cages
the size of SUVs have replaced what was
once a meticulously landscaped garden.Before the raccoons can move into
the backyard, however, the tiny crea-
tures—which look more like newborn
kittens than anything else—must be
bottle-fed up to six times a day for
several weeks. There have been tender
moments—one kit gleefully buried its
face in plums whenever the fruit was
on the menu; another only stopped
crying if Hesseln carried it in a bag
around her neck—but Hesseln insists
they aren’t meant to be pets.
“A lot of people just want to cuddle
a raccoon,” she says. “I’m not running
a petting zoo. These animals are wild
and they are destined for the wild.”
Still, Hesseln has to force herself
not to get attached; taking on volun-
teers helps provide distance. After
three months with Hesseln, the rac-
coons are moved from the backyardcages to an escape-proof pen Bandit
Ranch has built on an acreage out-
side Saskatoon. There, human inter-
action comes only when water is
changed and food refreshed.
By the time Clayton McNally—who
is a part-time volunteer with Bandit
Ranch Rehab—collects the animals
in late September to reintroduce them
to the wilderness, they’re hissing and
clawing. Once he releases them from
the live traps and kennels, they’re off
as quickly as their legs will take them.
Raccoons are curious and can be
destructive to land, says Shadick, and
farmers who encounter mother rac-
coons are likely to shoot them. Instead,
as often as possible, she proposes the
farmers contact rehabilitation hotlines
to find ways to get the creatures to move
along. Beyond shootings, raccoons are
orphaned by “negative wildlife-human
interaction,” which includes collisions
with vehicles.
Over the years, Hesseln has shel-
tered more than 200 raccoons. Accord-
ing to Shadick, the compassion and
support her friend offers the animals
is a cue for others to view raccoons as
something more than a nuisance.
The best part of running Bandit
Ranch, says Hesseln, is knowing she’s
given the raccoons a second chance.
“They so badly want to go out into the
wild. Once they’re released and they’re
up in the trees and just enjoying life,
then you know you’ve gotten them to
that point.”ONE KIT ONLY
STOPPED CRYING
IF HESSELN CARRIED
IT IN A BAG AROUND
HER NECK.reader’s digest
16 october 2019