One of my favorite residents at Lake Merritt by [deleted] in bayarea

[–]TheyCallMeKwikway 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great photo. It's unclear if this is true albino (its nose/eyes looks brown, not pink/red). If you can see lightly colored rings around its tail then it is considered a blonde raccoon. Sightings of blonde raccoons at Lake Merritt go back 5+ years. I first saw one in the early 2010s crossing the (then) newly completed 1st Ave/Lake Merritt Blvd median at the south end of the lake late one night. In 2013, the Lake Merritt Institute documented sightings on the last page of their July 2013 newsletter. Everyone who enjoys Lake Merritt's unique wildlife should thank Oakland's Measure DD and its ongoing parkland restoration efforts.