Pygmy raccoons on Cozumel documented making and playing with toys

Researchers have documented the first known instance of raccoons creating and playing with toys, a discovery that suggests the presence of material culture among the species. The study, published in the journal Wild, focused on the critically endangered pygmy raccoon population on the island of Cozumel, Mexico.

Observations revealed a female raccoon using a paper receipt from a trash can to craft a ball, which she then batted around. Crucially, the animal appeared to teach her family members how to manufacture and play with these objects. Scientists define this as culture, as the behavior is transmitted through learning rather than heredity.

While tool and toy making have been observed in other species, this marks the first time raccoons have been recorded engaging in such material culture. The pygmy raccoons, which number fewer than 200 in the wild, live in the mangrove forests and coastal ecosystems of Cozumel. Researchers noted that the animals increasingly interact with human waste, which has led to both these new behaviors and issues with malnutrition.