It was a quiet day in southeastern Virginia when a Good Samaritan noticed a flash of movement along an empty sidewalk. As they glanced at the gutter beneath the sidewalk, they were shocked to see a little raccoon’s face cautiously sticking out of the opening.
While it isn’t particularly unusual to see wildlife roaming around the area, this raccoon seemed scared and in pain.
“[She] was hiding inside a storm drain,” Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge (EWR) wrote on Facebook.
The skittish raccoon limped from one end of the storm drain to another, seemingly injured and alone. It was a helpless situation, especially for such a young raccoon. But luckily, a couple of concerned humans refused to leave her in pain.
“Thankfully, two wonderful Good Samaritans who happened to be nearby in a big blue Zoomin Groomin van stopped to help,” EWR wrote.
The pair of Good Samaritans wasted no time catching the raccoon and drove her to EWR’s headquarters. She soon received a full checkup, and EWR’s staff learned that she was just a baby with multiple injuries.
“This little girl has THREE broken legs, along with a fracture to her femur,” EWR wrote. “It’s heartbreaking to imagine the amount of pain she must have been experiencing while trying to survive on her own and hiding in that storm drain.”
The staff couldn’t believe just how resilient the raccoon, whom they named Delilah, was when they first met her. But as they dressed her wounds and got her settled in her temporary habitat, they realized that she was spunkier than anyone had imagined.
“But don’t let her tiny size fool you! She may be small, but she is incredibly feisty and has plenty of that classic raccoon attitude!” EWR wrote. “Despite everything she has been through, she is making it very clear that she still has plenty of fight left in her — and we love seeing that spirit.”
You can see more pictures of the raccoon’s rescue here:
It’s been a few days since Delilah's rescue, and the sweet raccoon is still in the beginning stages of her recovery. Thankfully, she has a team of professionals who know just what she needs to thrive.
“We have a long road ahead of us, but we’re going to give this sweet, sassy little girl every opportunity we can to heal,” EWR wrote.
Delilah will keep receiving around-the-clock care for her injuries until she’s fully healed, and her caregivers at EWR look forward to releasing her once she’s better. Until then, they’ll keep showering her with love and thanking the Good Samaritans who ultimately saved her life.
“Wildlife rescue truly takes a community, and without people willing to step up when an animal is in need, stories like hers could have a very different ending,” EWR wrote. “A huge thank you to the two Good Samaritans who stopped what they were doing to help get her to safety.”
