{"id":18479,"date":"2026-11-02T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18479"},"modified":"2026-11-01T21:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T02:10:09","slug":"little-rascal-raccoon-stealing-food-caught-on-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/environment-wildlife\/little-rascal-raccoon-stealing-food-caught-on-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Rascal! Raccoon Stealing Food Caught on Camera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A female raccoon and her young were recorded engaging in a brazen act of <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/featured\/horrific-gunayala-crocodile-attack-nearly-kills-teenager\/\" rel=\"internal\">raccoon stealing food<\/a> from a <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/crime-safety\/50-of-tobacco-in-panama-is-illegal-health-officials-warn\/\" rel=\"internal\">vendor stall<\/a> along Panama City&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/environment-wildlife\/950-rangers-deployed-to-panama-protected-areas-for-holiday-surge\/\" rel=\"internal\">Cinta Costera<\/a>, snatching a bag of chips while the seller slept. The incident occurred at the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cinta_Costera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">popular coastal promenade<\/a> and has since circulated widely on social media, drawing both amusement and concern from residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The animal climbed quietly onto the box where snacks were stored, grabbed a single bag, and fled before anyone could intervene. Bystanders attempted to wake the vendor by shouting, but the raccoon had already escaped with its prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\">Los mapaches haciendo de las suyas en la Cinta Costera. https:\/\/t.co\/sB9tYS2Ypr<\/p>&mdash; Noticias En Desarrollo (@NEndesarrollo) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NEndesarrollo\/status\/2116542015672406065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 31, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Raccoon Stealing Food Highlights <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human%E2%80%93wildlife_conflict\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Urban Wildlife Conflict<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moments after the theft, the raccoon was spotted nearby eating from the stolen bag. The scene underscores a growing pattern of wildlife adapting to urban environments in Panama, where green spaces like the Cinta Costera intersect with food vendors and heavy foot traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Environmental authorities have repeatedly warned that raccoons are wild animals and should not be fed by humans. Processed snacks such as chips can harm their digestive systems and lead to long-term health problems. More critically, feeding or tolerating this behavior teaches raccoons to associate people with easy meals, increasing the likelihood of future encounters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DfIVrcxAkUl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DfIVrcxAkUl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">Ver esta publicaci\u00f3n en Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DfIVrcxAkUl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Una publicaci\u00f3n compartida por TVN Noticias (@tvnnoticias)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Officials Warn Against Feeding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/animals\/mammals\/facts\/raccoon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wild Raccoons<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When raccoons learn to scavenge from vendors or trash bins, they become bolder and less fearful of humans. This can lead to property damage, aggressive encounters, and the spread of disease. Wildlife experts stress that keeping food sealed and disposing of waste properly reduces these conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cinta Costera incident is not isolated. Similar reports of raccoons approaching food stalls have emerged in other Latin American cities, reflecting a regional challenge as urban expansion encroaches on natural habitats. Officials urge the public to observe wildlife from a distance and report unusual behavior to local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/gcpvmedxmaafiyu-1200x800-1.webp\" alt=\"Little Raccon in Cinta Costera Panama\" class=\"wp-image-18481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/gcpvmedxmaafiyu-1200x800-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/gcpvmedxmaafiyu-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Little Raccon in Cinta Costera Panama<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Community Response and Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reactions online have ranged from laughter at the raccoon&#8217;s cleverness to concern for the vendor&#8217;s lost inventory. Some commenters noted that the mother raccoon was likely searching for food to feed her young, a reminder of the pressures wild animals face in urban settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authorities have not announced any specific measures for the Cinta Costera area, but they continue to emphasize public education about coexisting with wildlife. For now, the image of a raccoon making off with a bag of chips remains a vivid example of nature adapting to city life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A female raccoon and her young were recorded engaging in a brazen act of raccoon stealing food from a vendor stall along Panama City&#8217;s Cinta Costera, snatching a bag of chips while the seller slept. The incident occurred at the popular coastal promenade and has since circulated widely on social media, drawing both amusement and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18480,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32,31],"tags":[50,7750,7748,7749,6974],"class_list":["post-18479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment-wildlife","category-crime-safety","tag-panama","tag-panama-city-raccoon","tag-raccoons","tag-urban-wildlife-conflict","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18479"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18482,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479\/revisions\/18482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}