Seattle raccoon: Jimothy's fan page warns against sharing location after threats
A Facebook page for the viral Ballard raccoon asked followers to stop posting his exact whereabouts after four people made death threats online.
By Marina Weber ·
Residents of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood are being asked to keep the location of Jimothy, a short-legged raccoon, to themselves. The animal’s fan page issued a warning on Sunday, urging the public not to share his exact coordinates in posts, comments, or videos. The request comes after four individuals made specific threats against the raccoon within the past week.
The fan page identified the four people who made the threats. One user wrote that watching Jimothy be fed to a coyote would "bring me joy." Another commenter stated it was time to put Jimothy "out of his misery." The page administrator said that the second comment was reported to law enforcement.
The page administrator argued that sharing the animal’s location creates a risk that many people underestimate. "Whether these psychopaths are truly violent or more of the 'edgelord' kind, it doesn't matter. I'm not taking any chances with people who are comfortable to say things like this on a public forum with all their details public," the administrator wrote.
Jimothy gained international attention after videos of the animal went viral online. The raccoon has millions of views on social media. He has a condition likely identified as short spine syndrome, which compresses his vertebrae and gives him a very small torso. This deformity makes it appear as if he has no neck. As his popularity has grown, online users have debated whether he is the same animal seen for years or if there are multiple raccoons with similar conditions in the area.
Wendi Mallo, an animal keeper who spoke with FOX 13 during the peak of Jimothy’s fame, noted that the raccoon is changing how people view wildlife in urban areas. "People often don’t like animals that are too successful and surprisingly in their backyard," Mallo said. She added that Jimothy has sparked a different reaction because of his appearance.
Mallo said urban raccoons face daily dangers from cars and dogs. She encouraged people to admire wildlife from a distance rather than approaching or feeding the animals. The fan page’s warning aims to protect Jimothy from the specific threats made by the four individuals identified this week.
