OK–maybe it is our fault because we stored the birdseed on the patio, but it was in a trashcan with a closed lid. Apparently, the lid was easily mastered by a raccoon. A year ago, we had found a baby raccoon creating a ruckus on our patio by jumping on the trash can and trying to get the lid open. He was easily frightened away. As an adult, however, he seems to have learned a few things. It became a nightly ritual to scare him away off the patio, and as the nights went on, he was less and less afraid. He was so cute, we named him Blinkie. Blinkie became a nightly visitor and a problem. Finally, we removed the bird seed. Problem solved, or so we thought.
Later in the week, we went to feed our three Shubunkins in our small patio pond. “They must be hiding under all the moss,” we thought. Wrong. There was no sign of them–nothing. The next night we found muddy footprints on the patio. Blinkie!
With the final food source gone, we have not seen Blinkie since, but I occasionally see racoon footprints in the flower bed. We have not replaced our fish.
