It\u2019s about 4:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. The weather app says it\u2019s 97 degrees, but you know better, and as you stroll past the Heritage Building, you can\u2019t remember why you decided to come to Arkansas before November. Then you turn to look at the front lawn and stop hard. You rub your eyes, but you\u2019re not having a heat stroke \u2014 that really is a guy walking a raccoon on a leash. <\/p>\n
The guy? Nathan Mayes, a senior visual arts and leadership and ministry major. <\/p>\n
The raccoon? Simon. <\/p>\n
Simon entered the picture when the Mayes\u2019 neighbors found raccoons in their attic and brought them next door because of the Mayes family\u2019s long history with animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandad and mom, basically our whole family, has been rehabilitating animals for a long time,\u201d Mayes said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had all kinds of wild animals \u2014 owls, hawks, deer. Basically anything you can think of. We rehabilitate a lot of them and send them back out into the wild. We\u2019ve acquired a lot that really can\u2019t be set back in the wild and had some that we just kept as pets.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was the case with Simon. <\/p>\n
When he was found, Simon\u2019s eyes weren\u2019t even open. Now, he\u2019s about 6 months old, the size of a cat and as playful as – well – a raccoon. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s kind of like a puppy that can climb walls,\u201d Mayes said. \u201cHe plays with cat toys, and basically he likes to play with people more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
But how does one begin caring for a wild animal? <\/p>\n
According to thesprucepets.com, raccoons are a lot like large ferrets or puppies but have characteristics that are still special to their species \u2026 always full of mischief. <\/p>\n
\u201cMany experts advise against keeping raccoons as pets, as they are difficult to tame and have health issues that are hard to manage,\u201d thesprucepets.com said.<\/p>\n
According to Mayes, the experience is vastly different from having a dog or cat. For example, a domestic animal may be caged for hours but still be excited to see its owner. Wild animals, on the other hand, are less forgiving. They require more research beforehand and increased attention, but the effort is worthwhile for Mayes. <\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly I have more of an appreciation for \u2026 God\u2019s creation [due to having these animals],\u201d he said. \u201cI love seeing just how awesome he is, like creating these things for us to enjoy \u2026 I want to make sure animals are treated well. I guess having animals has given me a really big respect for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of Mayes\u2019 friends believe his pets have impacted their relationships. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll say we\u2019ve definitely gotten closer because of the raccoon,\u201d said junior Clayton Beasley. \u201cWe were already really close friends, so I\u2019ll say just any other weird experiences like this will bring us closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayes certainly doesn\u2019t believe that his experience is for everyone. However, he does encourage others to be aware of animals in need. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s tons of animals that need people to reach out and take care of them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnytime we see an animal hurt on the side of the road, we\u2019ll \u2026 either take care of it ourselves or take it to a specialist. Anyone who sees that, I would encourage to stop and try to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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