Ex-mariner's Mississippi rescue raises 76 orphaned raccoons for wild release

Not just humans, even raccoons are being trained for survival in boot camps now. In a wildlife centre in Mississippi, a dedicated staff is braving mud, sweat and at times, blood, all to train their raccoon soldiers. But unlike what it seems, this boot camp is truly for their own benefit. It runs with the goal of helping sick or injured animals to survive in the South Mississippi wilderness.While these baby raccoons would have learned this skill set from their own mothers, their moms died or were separated from their kits by storms, traffic accidents or other traumatic events. Paula Woodside, the woman behind the Woodside Wildlife Rescue, has now taken the responsibility to make them capable enough to survive on their own. “When these babies come in, and they’re so desperate, it’s heartbreaking,” said Woodside to AP.