“WASCHI, WASCHI!” The words echo through Karlsaue Park in the German city of Kassel. A slim woman in her 50s is calling out her pet name for a wild raccoon. It’s a late summer evening in July, and she’s waiting with a loaf of bread. Raccoons are nocturnal, and the settling twilight has awoken them.
Waschi is a female the woman tells us. Right on cue, the raccoon promptly appears from the dark bushes on light-footed paws, her clan following suit. The animals are not remotely shy, clambering all over the woman as they sniff out the food. “It’s amazing how intelligent they are, and they’re just so cute,” she says. Within minutes, a dozen raccoons have gathered around, standing up and reaching out, hoping to grab a share of an easy meal.
Waschi was named after the German word for raccoon, , which translates as ‘washing bear.’ Raccoons, much like humans, use their small, hand-like paws for grasping, and explore their surroundings through touch. The many sensitive nerves in their paws function best when wet, which explains why raccoons are often seen ‘washing’ them in waterways such as the Fulda River, which flows through Kassel, or one
