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An unusual Seattle raccoon, dubbed Jimothy, is becoming a viral celebrity due to his apparent shortened spine giving him a unique, spherical appearance.
Kiana Hall captured video when she spotted the non-traditional trash panda emerging from beneath a car in the Ballard neighborhood.
“I got very confused at what I was seeing,” Hall told The Seattle Times. “I just have never seen any other animal like it.”
Hall posted her video to Instagram, dubbing the round, short-necked raccoon “Jimothy.”
“He looked like a Jimothy,” Hall explained.
Her footage quickly went viral, and more footage of Jimothy emerged online.
Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said Jimothy was likely born this year. She said she could not diagnose him without an examination, but his unusual appearance is likely the result of congenital deformity of his spine.
Logsdon said Jimothy appears to be getting around OK despite his appearance, which is a sign of good health.
Seattle residents have embraced Jimothy as a beloved local cryptid.
“Kind of has some sort of physical abnormality, kind of looks a little bit like a cryptid but very cute,” Brigitte D’autremont told KIRO-TV. “Almost a little supernatural, kind of like Bigfoot or a yeti or something, becoming infamous really quickly.”
Hall said she was happy to see Jimothy embraced online.
“I think times have been hard for everyone, so I’m really happy to have posted something online that reaches so many people and makes them so happy,” Hall said. “I just hope he continues to live his life freely and I hope he can be healthy.”
