People can't get enough of this fierce mama raccoon who claimed a trash can for her babies
Never come between a mother and her babies

Every mom has made a face like that.
In a video recently released by The Dodo—the beloved source of all sweet animal things—a female raccoon is spotted peeking her little eyes and paws from inside a public trash bin.
It’s the kind with a top lid, making it her private cave. Meaning anyone who comes close is a trespasser. She aggressively swipes at anyone who dares approach.
The man taking the video is a professional animal rehabilitator of some sort and clearly knows what’s up. He’s seen warning passersby to “don’t go near there! There’s a raccoon in there!”
Despite the handler’s smooth talking and gentle maneuvering, Miss Raccoon is not happy as she wriggles and screeches. But still, she is successfully removed from her post.
And then, small chirps continue from the bin…
Cuddled up in the corner of the can, under a blanket of red coffee cups, are six raccoon kits, only about 21 days old. The sounds they make are unbelievably cute. Like, cartoon-in-real-life cute.
Raccoon is very protective over garbage can for the sweetest reason 🖤
— The Dodo (@dodo) May 19, 2022
Follow along on Instagram https://t.co/BFNEhREIL6. pic.twitter.com/dtLhS1pWhV
A litter of raccoons might not be the first thing we expect to see when we toss our takeout, but it makes sense. The inside of a trash can is usually warm, enclosed and small—everything that a raccoon likes to make a shelter. Especially when they need to keep little ones safe and sound.
But of course, in this case (being smack dab in a public place), the sanctuary would be short-lived for Mama Raccoon.
But never fear: Mama Raccoon might have been temporarily upset, but the family has been safely relocated to the wild.
If you’d like to see even more family photos of these adorable trash pandas, you can go to the Gates’ Wildlife Control’s Instagram, where you can catch gems like this one.
A big shoutout to all the fierce mamas of the world. So glad this family found their way to a safe home.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."