Raccoon Soft Toy - Anima Plush

The raccoon soft toy by Anima wears its trademark black face mask and bushy, ringed tail — two features that make the raccoon instantly recognisable. The grey-brown fur is soft and dense, and the small dark paws resemble dexterous hands. Anima, the French plush manufacturer since 1946, captured the raccoon's pointed muzzle and alert eyes behind the mask. The raccoon plush toy delights children — the masked woodland dweller has a roguish quality that fires the imagination. In nurseries and schools, it can spark conversations about invasive species and non-native wildlife. The soft toy meets the European EN71 safety standard.

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) originally comes from North America and was introduced to Germany in the 1930s. Its German name "Waschbär" (wash bear) comes from its habit of dunking food in water and feeling it with its paws. With a head-to-body length of 40 to 65 centimetres and a weight of five to ten kilogrammes, it is roughly the size of a small dog. Raccoons are omnivores, nocturnal and remarkably dexterous with their front paws, which have a highly developed sense of touch. In German cities such as Kassel, they have become a permanent part of the urban wildlife.

Did you know that raccoons can open almost any lock or latch? Their five individually mobile fingers have as many touch receptors as a human hand, and they can remember solutions to mechanical problems for over three years. In experiments, they learnt to undo complex bolts, unscrew lids and even operate zip fasteners.