Urban wildlife biologists say the stumpy raccoon seems to have adapted well to his environment and spinal condition—but his internet fame presents a new threat.



On July 14, internet history was made. After capturing video of a cryptid-like raccoon with a hunched spine and stumpy tail in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Kiana Hall uploaded the footage to her Instagram account, referring to the sprightly little furball as “Jimothy.” (Later, asked in the comments where this name had come from, Hall replied that the animal “looked like a Jimothy to me.”)

Within days, the clip had been viewed millions of times, spawning memes, fan art, plushie toys, and more. City leaders proclaimed a “Jimothy Summer” in honor of the local mascot, and next week, the Seattle Mariners will host a “Jimothy Night” at T-Mobile Park, with ticketholders receiving Jimothy T-shirts. Another Seattelite, Ben Trammell, produced a year-old backyard video of Jimothy as a tiny baby raccoon with his mother and siblings, adding to his lore and celebrity status.

Jimothy’s congenital spine condition—the exact kind remains unverified—has endeared him to people the world over. But it has also raised questions about whether he’s thriving in his urban habitat. Even without the disadvantage of an unusual skeleton (in Trammell’s footage, you can see Jimothy struggle with his footing on a fence), wild raccoons have a life expectancy of just two to three years—and we know from the baby footage that he’s at least a year old. Are his admirers setting themselves up for heartbreak in the near future?

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