This morning while doing a site visit in Moss Point, Mandy and I spotted a momma raccoon with her three babies. Thinking it may be a great photo opp I put the car in park and tried to sneak up on them. I have to admit, I got pretty close before they noticed me and bolted. What surprised me was the mother raccoon totally abandoned her babies at the first sign of danger, or at least that is the way it seemed. While Momma took off one way, diving into a small creek to hide in the culvert, the babies darted to the opposite side of the road. In the photo above you can see there was a small creek on that side as well.

I decided to follow the babies and snapped this photo of them scurrying up the bank. As they were climbing to safety I could hear them whimpering. I didn't know raccoons did that. They almost sounded like puppies.

Before retreating further into the woods, one of the babies gave me this look. I think his/her expression says it all. I only hope the mother was reunited with her babies shortly after my departure. I am also very glad the mother raccoon didn't attack me while I was snapping photos of her offspring. That would have made for a very bad afternoon indeed.