Image description: Raccoon expert Dr. Suzanne MacDonald wears a maroon sweater and blue rubber gloves and stands in a lab holding a deceased raccoon. She is smiling at the camera.

PART 1: Procyonology (RACCOONS) with Suzanne MacDonald

Tiny hands! Round rumps! Chaos! Compost! Delicious garbage and sweet faces make raccoons as mysterious as they are adored. World class raccoon expert, psychologist and animal behaviorist Dr. Suzanne MacDonald of Toronto’s York University explains tree sleeping, brain worms, cartoon raccoons, queer icons, whether you should keep one as a pet and also: some of the best career and life advice from midnight gremlins eating chicken bones in your driveway. Stay tuned for next week’s part 2 with half a dozen more raccoon experts.

Listen via Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

transcript part 1

PART 2: Raccoonology (PROCYONIDS) with A Gaze of Raccoonologists

Here we go: SIX more raccoon experts, because one episode is not enough for the wonders of these terrific trash bandits. Revel in the raccoon love and hear about presidential pets, neuronal density, why raccoonologists walk out on the job, their fabled intelligence, how Aesop factors into raccoonology, and the comfort of the male gaze?

Transcript Part 2

Visit Dr. Suzanne MacDonald’s website and follow her on Twitter

Follow Hannah J. Griebling, MSc on Twitter

Follow Kelly E. Lane-deGraaf, PhD on Twitter

Follow Jessica M. Andersen on Twitter

Follow Lauren A. Stanton, Ph.D. on Twitter and visit her website

Follow Jessi Knudsen Castañeda on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Follow Jennifer Colbourne on Twitter and Instagram

Donations went to: Toronto Wildlife Centre, Center for One Health, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, and Animal Wonders

Some links you might enjoy:

Let’s call it this?

Are we making racoons smarter? No, raccoons are.