This Pet Raccoon Thinks It’s a WWE Wrestler
Miranda the raccoon has found an unusual hobby: couch wrestling. In a TikTok clip, her owner gently tosses her onto the cushions, and each time Miranda scrambles back for another round. The back-and-forth has caught the internet’s attention, racking up more than 6 million views.
The video comes from the account @crazyraccoons0, which shares everyday moments with its legally permitted pet raccoons. With over 15,000 followers and close to a million likes, the page shows just how curious people are about raccoons as companions. While plenty of viewers joked about Miranda training for a WWE belt, others wondered about the safety of treating wildlife like household pets.
Smarter Than You Think
Raccoons like Miranda are clever and can remember solutions to puzzles for up to three years. Aside from raiding garbage cans, they often figure out how to open doors and untie knots. Their front paws are as nimble as hands, packed with sensitive touch receptors that help them test food and objects. That’s also why wild raccoons are such successful survivors in cities and suburbs.
The “mask” around their eyes reduces glare and helps with night vision. Their trademark look includes gray-brown fur, whitish patches around the face, and a bushy tail with four to six black rings. These features make raccoons one of the most recognizable animals in North America.
Daily Life and Survival
Raccoons are omnivores that eat nuts, berries, insects, small mammals, and bird eggs. They’re also strong swimmers, and their speed can reach about three miles per hour while hunting for fish or frogs. As opportunistic feeders, raccoons have earned their “trash panda” nickname by skillfully opening lids and containers that stump other animals.
Raccoons live in forests, wetlands, parks, and neighborhoods across the continental United States. Their natural predators include coyotes, bobcats, red foxes, and great horned owls. In urban areas, the biggest threats are cars and habitat loss. Despite these risks, raccoons adapt quickly, making homes in crawlspaces or abandoned buildings.
Family and Longevity
Breeding season runs from January through June, with females raising litters of three to seven kits after a two-month pregnancy. The young stay with their mother through the first winter, learning survival skills like climbing and foraging, before heading out on their own in spring. While raccoons can live up to 16 years in the wild, most only reach about five years due to predators and environmental hazards.
Mother raccoons are protective, even fighting off males that wander too close to their dens. Family bonds are strong, and kits rely on their mother to learn how to navigate both natural and human-made environments.
Living Alongside Raccoons
Image via Canva/ Изображения пользователя Валерия Титаренко
Raccoons can live with people, as seen in the Raccoons of Blessed Chaos Farm TikTok videos. However, wildlife experts recommend securing trash with raccoon-proof bins, avoiding feeding them, sealing off entry points to homes, and being careful when driving at night. These small steps help reduce conflict while allowing raccoons to thrive.
Miranda shows how spirited and adaptable raccoons are with her WWE couch-slamming antics, entertaining millions online. Funnily enough, raccoons have been stealing the spotlight long before TikTok. President Calvin Coolidge once had a pet raccoon named Rebecca, who lived at the White House in the 1920s.