The odd story behind this Canadian raccoon photo gone viral

Ok, we absolutely love raccoon photos. The adorable little scamps might have gotten a bad rap from scrounging through garbage all the time, but they’re smart as heck and they have some very dexterous paws. And, a Saskatchewan photographer has gotten one of the best raccoon photos of one of all time.

Jason Bantle had spent years watching this mother raccoon raise consecutive litters in an abandoned Ford Pinto. Her way of getting in and out? A small hole in the front windshield.

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As Jason told CBC, the assignment simply required some respect and a ton of patience. He set up downwind from the critter in a photo blind and simply waited. It’s a far cry for some of the other work that he does, which includes shooting polar bears in their natural habitat.

And, his hard work has paid off, as the photo has been selected for the Wild Photographer of the Year Awards 2019. He’ll be competing for the title alongside some of the world’s best.

We have to hand it to them, wildlife photographers have got a level of patience that we can only dream of. Years for a single shot? No access to fidget spinners? We’d lose it.

You can check out Jason’s photography on his Instagram account.