Litter of newborn raccoons found in a construction excavator in Mississauga

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Published May 4, 2023 at 8:38 am

raccoons construction excavator mississauga

A construction crew stopped working when they heard raccoon cries inside a Mississauga excavator.

The crew discovered the baby raccoons, known as kits, in the excavator at a job site in the Hurontario Street and Dundas Street area on April 27, Mississauga Animal Services told insauga.com.

An adult female raccoon was seen nearby but was unwilling to approach and keep the five newborn kits warm, Animal Services said in an email.

“The kits appeared to be suffering from exposure,” they said.

The crew called Animal Services and officers got the five kits out of the excavator and into a box with towels and heat packs to warm them.

“The Animal Services officers then heard a sixth kit crying somewhere within the excavator and discovered that the mother raccoon had dropped the kit into the upper part of the engine compartment,” they said.

Fortunately, officers were able to use a grabber tool to reach the baby and remove it from the compartment, reuniting the raccoon with its litter.

The construction crew kindly waited and did not use the machine giving the female raccoon time to relocate the kits elsewhere.

The raccoons appear to have survived the ordeal because when Animal Services checked in the evening, the family had moved on.

“A positive outcome.”

Mississauga Animal Services is a 24-hour emergency service and responds to calls 365 days a year.

Call 905-896-5858 and choose option one immediately if you come across an animal that is:

  • Visibly injured or sick
  • Suffering or in immediate distress
  • Running in traffic or in danger
  • Locked in a hot vehicle
  • Wild and bites a pet or person
  • Acting aggressively to people or pets

Call 911 if a person or pet’s life is at risk, requires immediate medical attention or if there is a risk to public safety.

For more information, visit the City of Mississauga website here.

Toronto Wildlife Centre also responds to calls for wildlife rescues. For more information, visit their website here.

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