A couple in Biloxi, Mississippi, were relaxing in their living room when they heard strange cries coming from inside the wall. This went on for a couple of days, and when the crying didn’t stop, they decided
it was time to call for help.
Paula Woodside, founder of Woodside Wildlife Rescue, headed out to the couple’s home with director Raquel Hungerford. The pair used a stethoscope and thermal imager to locate the source of the crying within the wall. They broke through the wall using a hammer and saw, peeked inside — and found five days-old raccoon babies huddled deep within the wall.
The babies were all crammed into a tiny space, and it took some time to carefully extract them all. Throughout the entire rescue, the babies remained calm, and unfortunately their mom never showed herself.
“They are too young to understand what was happening as their eyes and ears are still sealed,” Woodside told The Dodo.
Once they were all free, the rescuers rushed to get them the care they needed. Babies that young need constant care, and it was unclear how long they’d been on their own for.
“They were uninjured, but they were weak, malnourished, and two were quite dehydrated,” Woodside said.
The rescuers got to work rehydrating the babies and feeding them every two hours. Luckily they’re recovering well and getting stronger every day.
The rescue is hoping to reunite the babies with their mom, and will bring them back to where they were found every night if they have to. If for some reason their mom can’t be located, the rescue will make sure the babies are well cared for until they can be released back into the wild.
