Jimothy, The Raccoon With A Rare Condition Becomes Seattle’s Unlikely Celebrity
Residents of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood couldn’t believe what they were seeing. A strange little animal was waddling through the streets, and no one could quite figure out what it was.
Some thought it was a mutant. Others joked that it was a chupacabra. One person even called it “the weirdest animal I’ve ever seen.”
Then came the reveal. It wasn’t a mystery creature at all. It was a raccoon. His name is Jimothy, as named by Seattle resident Kiana Hall.
@nbc_montana "Jimothy" the raccoon is taking over the internet by storm in Seattle! Take a look at "Jimothy" and see how he got his name.
♬ original sound – nbc_montana
Kiana first spotted him and shared a short video online that quickly racked up more than six million views. She gave him the name simply because, as she put it, “he looked like a Jimothy.”
Jimothy likely has short spine syndrome, a rare genetic condition that compresses the vertebrae, giving him his unusually round body and almost nonexistent neck. The condition is not believed to cause him pain, although he may risk compromised organ function later in life. Jimothy’s rare genetic condition has been seen over the ears in some dogs who also became Internet famous such as Quasimodo the German Shepherd and Pig the Unusual Dog.
The condition is not believed to cause him pain, and despite looking very different from other raccoons, he’s been happily roaming his neighborhood for years.
Another local, Ben Trammell, even shared footage of Jimothy as a baby, writing that although he was “small and clumsy,” his mother and siblings were incredibly patient, often helping him along or carrying him when he struggled to keep up.
@tmz Jimothy's early-life lore has been revealed, along with baby videos of the viral raccoon.
♬ original sound – TMZ
Instead of feeling sorry for him, Seattle and the whole Internet has fallen in love.
Within days, fan art flooded social media, local businesses began selling Jimothy merchandise, and the Seattle Mariners even temporarily changed their profile picture to show the famous raccoon wearing a team cap. Posts declaring “Protect Jimothy at all costs” and “In Jimothy we trust” spread across the internet.
In a world that often feels heavy, one adorably unique little raccoon reminded millions of people that sometimes the most unexpected animals bring the biggest smiles.
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