Video: Man Saves Choking Raccoon in His Backyard
He saved the day.
Raccoons have become a part of life for many people in cities across North America. While a bite can get you a rabies infection, not all interactions between humans and these furry friends are hostile.
Michigan man Bill Boski had his altruism for raccoons on display in a video that has gone viral. Boski was with his friends Tyler Whalen and John Ptaszenski when they noticed a raccoon wandering around his backyard. They initially left it alone until it got into the trash and began choking on a piece of food. That prompted Boski to swoop in and come to the rescue, patting it on the back until it hacked up the piece.
"Initially, when it came up, it was acting skittish," Boski told WJRT. "It arched its back up like it was ready to attack. We were keeping our distance. After a little while, it grew comfortable with us. It was just kind of roaming around all over the yard."
"For-Mar [Nature Preserve & Arboretum] is right down the road, so there is deer back here all the time," he added. "But it's the first time I've seen a raccoon that is hanging out with us like it's our friend or something."
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Ptaszenski said that it wasn't a violent altercation at all; in fact, the animal seemed overly familiar with its new friends. "We're hanging out, and it realized we weren't a threat to it, so it got closer to us to let us pet it," he said. "It even climbed up on my leg."
It wasn't until they heard the animal making strange noises that they realized something was wrong.
"It delved into our trash. It looked like he had a piece of cheese with him, and as he was eating it, he started choking. It did this weird thing. It reared up on his hind legs," Whalen recounted. "Next thing I know, Billy is over there patting him on the back."
Luckily, the raccoon ended up just fine, and has even become a part of their crew. "We named him Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy," Ptaszenski said.
As for Rocket's savior, Boski would love to cross paths with the raccoon again soon. "Rocket has not returned, but Friday, we are hoping to see him," he said.
Perhaps there's an Arthur the King-style movie to be written about Rocket.