Popular raccoon colony is a hidden Galveston gem
A curious colony of masked critters is attracting a lot of attention on Galveston Island. At the far eastern end of Seawall Boulevard near the entrance to East Beach, you can get a breathtaking glimpse of towering ships coming into the channel—or you can observe a group of about 20 raccoons at play or sharing a feast atop boulders close to the water . On any given day, visitors come to the area to feed and photograph the mischievous creatures .
Sightings of the east-end raccoon colony shared on social media date back to early 2023. However, locals say it's possible the raccoons have existed there for much longer than that. "They had a nest under the concrete overlook. That's where they were coming out from," Laura Hanna , an island resident who spotted the camp of trash pandas for the first time earlier this month, told Chron. "They were super friendly and didn't seem nervous around people at all."
The raccoon community appears to be growing in popularity. With a quick online search, you'll find the cat-sized animals chowing down on anything from dog and cat food to chips in broad daylight, mostly with the help of humans. "I came to Galveston to find the raccoons where are they?" read one social media query.
On Thursday, the local celebrities were even treated to a fancy photoshoot courtesy of Galveston resident Michael Grimes. While Grimes enjoys having the raccoons around, he worries about people getting too close to the creatures and attempting to pet or hold them. "They will approach people looking for food and will definitely eat from your hand, but they are still wild animals and will absolutely bite," he told Chron, adding the raccoons seem more aggressive when food is around. "If people start trying to pet and hold them, I fear that someone's kid is gonna get bit and then the city will have to remove them. Then there will be sadness for all."
Like any wildlife encounter , it's best to just admire the raccoons from afar. In a statement to Chron, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) said the colony likely formed as a result of people feeding the raccoons or due to the area having access to trash bins or other easily accessible food sources. The agency urges people to never intentionally feed wildlife. "Feeding wild animals can directly result in aggression towards people and other dangerous behaviors," a spokesperson with TPWD told Chron.
