An ordinary day turned into an incredible anecdote when a resident of Nova Scotia, Canada, found an unusual visitor on his property. The animal, completely hairless, ran away when it noticed human activity, causing a great scare to the owners of the house.
After the discovery, the couple, who did not know what animal it was, decided to take the strange visitor to a local rehabilitation center called Hope For Wildlife, concerned about his possible illness.
There, specialists soon revealed that the hairless visitor was, in fact, a northern raccoon, a species known for its characteristic facial mask, which in this case was not visible due to the lack of hair. According to the center, this little girl was suffering from a condition that caused hair loss, known as alopecia, which left her completely bald.
In an update provided by the rescue center via a Facebook post, it was explained that although alopecia can be caused by “parasites, mange or fungal infections,” the animal’s skin appeared to be relatively healthy.
Additionally, the raccoon, whom they affectionately named Rufus, had no problem socializing with other recovering raccoons. “I guess if you’re naked, it’s nice to have lots of furry friends around you and keep you warm on cold nights,” she noted.
Rescuers continue to investigate the causes of Rufus’s alopecia and whether it will be possible to reintroduce him into the wild. Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope For Wildlife, has been optimistic about Rufus’s recovery, stating that with “good supervision and a proper diet, she could regain some of her fur and could be released.”
