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Critter Profile: Smoky!
Overview!
Name: Smoky
Species: Nyctereutes procyonoides (Raccoon Dog)
Primary Caretaker: Julia Atkins
Diet: Dog Food (chicken can be used to reward good behaviour. He's a bit uncooperative sometimes!)
Housed: Enclosure 5
Creature Features!
Smoky is an adorable little raccoon dog that we found in a nearby park. One of the things that makes this guy so special is his ability to move things without touching them! The supervisors call it ""telekinesis", but I just say that he's magic!
If you're worried that his powers might be dangerous, don't be! The supervisors tell us he can't lift anything heavier than about twenty pounds. It still makes taking care of him a hassle, though! Sometimes, if Smoky was in a bad mood, or even just bored, he used his power to open the door to his enclosure! As soon as we realized this, we had to think of a solution! We decided that the simplest thing to do would be putting weights on the door. It makes opening the door a bit of a workout, but it's worth it to keep this adorable little critter safe!
Smoky is a bit uncooperative, and will refuse to listen to anyone other than Julia. Luckily, she seems to love the little rascal, and was more than happy to take care of him! Even when Julia is around, Smoky sometimes decides that he doesn't want to listen to us! To try and get him to listen, Julia sometimes offers him his favourite food: chicken! Sure, it seems like bribery, but he has started to become more agreeable! Because of the chicken, no doubt!
History!
Julia took this picture right before we captured Smoky! Isn't he adorable?
Smoky was discovered alone in a nearby park in Boring. When we found him, he seemed to be limping. As soon as we noticed that he was hurt, we knew we had to help the poor little guy! Julia was the one who carried Smoky to the truck, which is probably why he likes her so much!
When we got Smoky back to the center, we took him to get some treatment. Turns out, he had sprained one of his legs! We decided to keep him, since he isn't native to Oregon. But if we thought finding a raccoon dog was weird, we were in for a huge surprise!
One day, Julia was heading over to Smoky's enclosure to feed him, and decided to see if he would fetch a stick. "Dog" is right in the name, after all! After she fed Smoky, she picked up a stick, and tossed it. She was shocked when the stick stopped in the air and hovered right back! After the supervisors did some tests, they determined that it would be safe for us to keep the little guy. We were all overjoyed when we found out that they were letting us keep him! Julia was especially happy about the news! Ever since then, we've made sure that Smoky is properly cared for!
Special Needs and Accommodations!
Smoky lives in Enclosure 5, which is perfect for him! He has a shelter to sleep in, plenty of space to roam around, and enough trees to provide shade in the summer! He even has a little pond to swim around in! He really enjoys going for walks around the center with Julia, so she takes him once a day! Smoky has gotten better at behaving, which is making it much easier to take care of him!
Notes about Smoky!
On 05/23/2013, Julia claimed to see Smoky start to fly! The supervisors tell us it's because he weighs less than twenty pounds, so he is able to lift himself off the ground! Since the incident, we've constructed a roof over his enclosure, and Julia makes sure she always uses a leash!
