Coati and Raccoon: Cousins Holding Hands

I want to thank Carol Patterson of Kalahari Management Inc for posting this awesome video of a raccoon and a coatimundi hanging out together! Coatimundi are sometimes referred to as the 'South American version of the Raccoon' (I'd LOVE to get DNA testing done and compare the coati DNA against a bear to see how much closer THOSE animals are than some of the other critters lumped into the coati family). The raccoon in the video is obviously a juvenile who's a little skittish and new to being on his own. What Carol points out that's interesting is that this is a male coati which are supposed to be solitary. In my own experience as well as some field reports I've read, male coati are pretty lax about who hangs with them after they're no longer needed as part of the troop. Most of the time a troop of coati seem to be as dynamic as a human family. Coati family units don't always follow scientific papers and their 'organize this in box A and this in box B' mentality. This video sort of shows that. The coatimundi doesn't seem to mind the raccoon just hanging around. The little raccoon, however, seems to value the security the coati is providing like he's found an older cousin from the other side of town to hang with in this new neighborhood. This little raccoon is VERY nervous and the bond that's developed is an awesome testament that animals are more like little people in furry costumes than we give them credit for. Thanks again for sharing this, Carol!