The appearance of a charismatic Seattle raccoon dubbed “Jimothy” has taken the internet by storm. I first discovered him on Threads, where his popularity exploded. Although I wasn’t the first to share his story, my own post quickly went viral as well.

I live in Seattle, and while watching the first Jimothy video, I couldn’t help but smile. Despite being born with a shortened spine, he moves through the world with remarkable confidence and joy. How could you not love him?

As his fame spread nationally, some media outlets portrayed him as strange or even creepy. To help set the record straight, I shared an article featuring videos and stories from the neighbors who actually know Jimothy and have watched him grow up.

One of the most touching discoveries was seeing videos of Jimothy as a baby. It also became clear just how devoted his mother was. When his siblings easily climbed where he struggled, she stayed close, watched over him, and patiently waited while he found his own way.

His survival is remarkable. In the wild, mothers usually abandon babies with severe disabilities because their chances of survival are so low. Jimothy’s mother made a different choice. Perhaps influenced by his determination or joyful spirit, she gave him the opportunity to live his own life.

One reply to my Threads post reminded me that Jimothy should: “…be reminding us that as people, we need to do better about protecting and caring for Disabled people the same way that Jimothy’s little raccoon family supports and cares for him just like any other raccoon and accommodates for the limitations of his body because he is different. I think it’s really important to not forget about this, especially during Disability Pride Month.”—Prizym E. Solstice

Jimothy has inspired countless people.

Artists have created paintings, sketches, sculptures, crocheted versions, mugs, and T-shirts. This is one of my favorites by Seattle urban sketcher/artist David Hingten.

Even the Seattle Mariners replaced the charging rhinos on the stadium’s big screen with an animation of Jimothy. During difficult times, this joyful little raccoon has reminded millions that resilience and delight can coexist.

Yet there is a downside to all this attention.

I’ve seen many people say they want to travel to Ballard to find him. Others want to rescue him or feed him.

Please don’t.

Empathy is a beautiful quality, but compassion without boundaries can unintentionally cause harm.

Jimothy is already living the life he was born to live. He has survived to adulthood because he possesses the skills needed to thrive. Removing him “for his own good,” feeding him, or encouraging him to seek out people may feel loving, but it places human desires ahead of his own needs.

Human food and pet food can make raccoons sick and alter their natural diet. Wild animals that become comfortable approaching people are often labeled “problem wildlife,” and too often that story ends badly for them.

The greatest gift we can offer Jimothy is not rescue but respect.

Respect means allowing him to remain wild. It means protecting the habitat that supports him, giving him space, and resisting the urge to interfere simply because we care.

Instead, admire him from a respectful distance. Support wildlife rehabilitation organizations like PAWS that care for injured and orphaned animals. Plant native species, provide fresh water during periods of extreme heat, and help create neighborhoods where wildlife can flourish without becoming dependent on us.

Jimothy reminds us that the wild still lives among us.

If we truly love him, we’ll let him remain wonderfully, gloriously himself.

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Jimothy’s story also illustrates something else: how easily our own stories can drown out what animals are actually communicating.

An Exercise in Listening Beyond Your Story

1) Before reading any further, watch this short video of a black bear visiting a woman’s porch during fireworks.

2) As you watch, don’t analyze it. Simply notice. Afterward, write down what stood out to you.

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After Watching the Video

What story did you immediately begin telling yourself?

When I shared this video with friends, nearly everyone focused on how fireworks should be banned because they frighten wildlife, pets, and people living with PTSD.

I agree with every one of those concerns.

But that’s not what stood out to me; it was the relationship and the communication.

The bear wasn’t simply wandering through the neighborhood. It approached a specific home. The woman explained that she and the bear were familiar with one another as neighbors. “This Bear showed up on my front porch on July 4th. I haven’t seen this bear in months. He looked so frightened from the noise of the fireworks. I stood in my doorway hoping that would help ease his fear.”

The bear was clearly anxious and sought her presence. I felt that, and I also felt that the bear trusted her enough to want to enter the woman’s den (home) for safety.

Rather than trying to touch the bear or invite it inside (a definite no-no), the woman quietly stood in the doorway. I know nothing about what she might have been practicing, but I would say that she grounded herself, projected calm reassurance, and held space. The bear responded by settling and lying down at the foot of the steps.

What moved me was the trust.

The bear recognized a calm, safe presence and chose to seek support there. To me, that’s an extraordinary example of communication through energy across species.

We can miss moments like this because our minds immediately begin constructing stories. We become busy solving problems, assigning blame, or deciding what should happen next. Our perceptions are shaped by our stories.

Listening asks something different of us.

It asks us to become quiet enough to notice what is actually happening before deciding what it means.

This is why I teach people to begin by clearing their own thoughts, expectations, and emotional reactions through energy healing. Our stories aren’t wrong—they’re simply loud. When we learn to set them aside, we become available for a deeper kind of listening.

That listening is the foundation of genuine relationship with the more-than-human world.

Here’s a shamanic exercise you can do with the help of a Stone Person to help clear the stories. Try it, and watch the bear video again. You may experience a shift in perception.

Enjoy the beauty of the season,
Rose De Dan, Night Sky, and Tamerlan

If You Love Stories Like Jimothy’s…

Jimothy isn’t an exception. He’s an invitation.

Every neighborhood has stories like his waiting to be discovered. That’s the heart of Sacred Rhythms—learning to notice, listen, and build a respectful relationship with the wild beings who share our everyday world.

This month’s experience explores the wisdom of Trees through story, a guided shamanic journey, wildlife videos, music, and simple practices to help you deepen your relationship with the living world.

I recently put together a short preview of everything waiting inside July’s experience.

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Learn how to walk in harmony with the natural world, connect more deeply with animals, restore balance to your life, enhance your intuitive skills, and help heal the Earth through my live Reiki and shamanic virtual classes and digital workshops.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.