We all get distracted from time to time. What can you do? And while some moments don’t matter nearly as much as others, some moments certainly do—like a proposal, for instance. That matters.
Tasked with filming her friend’s proposal, one woman recently found herself in an unlikely predicament of sorts. Halfway through the special moment, a curious little raccoon entered the scene and distracted the woman from capturing the actual proposal, and I hate to admit it, but the video is pretty hilarious. Take a look:
@marydawsonlMissed the whole kneeling part. Dont worry, she wasn’t mad! #fyp #foryoupage #racoon #ifeltsobad #ifailed #proposal #capturethemoment
“Missed the whole kneeling down part,” she writes as the caption. “Don’t worry, she wasn’t mad!” That’s a good friend! I personally know plenty of people who would be freaking out in a situation like this. What about you?
Related: Raccoon’s Reaction To Trying Reese’s Pieces Is Way Too Relatable
Now, the skeptic in me wants to think this was all just staged. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing to assume—social media is full of similar moments, most of them even harder to believe. But at the same time, how do you stage a wild raccoon encounter? And on the subject of staging things, they could re-stage the proposal a lot easier than this actual moment, you know? So either way, this is pretty funny.
What to do if you see a raccoon in your yard
Depending on where you live, you might see raccoons all the time. That said, you might also never see them. In any case, there are definitely some things you should and shouldn’t do when encountering a raccoon in the wild that are worth knowing.
Above all, if you encounter one of these cute, curious little critters, your best bet is to just let it be.
Raccoon populations have adapted to live in urban areas in many parts of the country out of necessity and may appear comfortable approaching humans, but as with most wildlife, the best thing we can do is simply leave them alone. This is especially the case if they don’t appear to be sick or injured.
Also, keep in mind that more often than not, the best offense is good defense. This is mainly because raccoons are creatures of opportunity—if you’re offering them a source of food or shelter in your backyard, for example, they will graciously accept.
However, if you leave raccoons no reason to pay you a visit, they will leave you (and your yard, trash cans, shed, garden, attic…) alone. That’s why you should never feed raccoons—whether on purpose or accidentally. In addition to securing your trash can lids, you should also avoid leaving any pet food or treats outside.
Another fairly simple thing to keep in mind is that you’ll never need to remove raccoons (or other animals, for that matter) from your home if you never let them inside in the first place. Every once in a while, it doesn’t hurt to inspect your home for holes and any spots that might be attractive to a raccoon looking for a den.
If you see any holes or suspicious looking areas, make sure to cover them up safely and keep inspecting for a few days after.
Trapping is not the answer, either. Even if a professional trapper promises to release a wild animal after trapping, they are still usually euthanized, which none of us want.
I guess the real question is: what do you do if you’re filming a proposal and encounter a raccoon? Well, that answer is pretty obvious—you film the raccoon and miss the proposal, duh!
Jokes aside, this moment wouldn’t have been the same without this little guy trying to get in on it. And for that, I’m thankful. Consider it a good luck charm!
