Raccoons have a reputation for being curious, clever, and fearless, especially in cities where they rummage through trash cans and explore human spaces.
But new research suggests these animals are far more cautious than we might think—especially when it comes to crossing roads.
A recent study led by researchers from Saint Louis University and the Saint Louis Zoo set out to understand how raccoons move through one of the largest urban parks in the United States.
The research focused on Forest Park in St. Louis, a 1,326-acre green space surrounded by busy streets.
The findings, published in the Journal of Mammalogy, reveal that raccoons actively avoid roadways, even when food is easy to find on the other side.
Between 2021 and 2024, scientists tracked 10 raccoons living in Forest Park using GPS–VHF collars equipped with tiny motion sensors called accelerometers.
These devices recorded the animals’ locations and movements in fine detail, allowing researchers to see not just where raccoons went, but how active they were and when.
Most of the raccoons stayed well within the park’s boundaries and maintained relatively small home ranges.
Only one especially adventurous raccoon regularly left the park, mostly to search for food in nearby dumpsters. Even so, road crossings were rare.
To test whether raccoons were simply staying close to home by chance, researchers compared the animals’ real movement paths with thousands of simulated routes. The difference was clear. Raccoons crossed roads far less often than expected.
Even when roads were lined with trash cans or other food sources, the animals chose not to cross. This suggests raccoons recognize roads as dangerous and actively adjust their behavior to avoid them.
The motion sensors also revealed how raccoon activity changes with the environment. As expected, raccoons were most active at night, with noticeable peaks around dawn and dusk. Warmer temperatures led to more movement overall.
During the summer, when nights are shorter, raccoons compensated by being more active during each hour of darkness, squeezing more activity into less time.
Together, these patterns show that raccoons are highly adaptable and responsive to the challenges of urban life. Roads, temperature, and daylight all shape how they use space and move through their environment.
The findings offer valuable insights into how wildlife and humans can better share urban spaces. Understanding how animals perceive and avoid risks like traffic can help city planners design safer green spaces and wildlife corridors. The study is also part of the Forest Park Living Lab, a long-term collaboration that tracks the health, movement, and interactions of more than 15 species living in the park.
Far from being reckless scavengers, urban raccoons appear to be careful navigators—quietly making smart choices to survive alongside us.
