Meet Mallow, a beautiful raccoon who lives at For Fox Sake Rescue in Chattanooga, Tennessee—a wildlife rehab facility that rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured animals such as skunks, foxes, raccoons, and bobcats.
This video of Mallow absolutely obliterating a bowl of food—his core diet includes black soldier fly larvae, crushed acorn, freeze-dried chicken with bone, and dried fruit—is oh-so-relatable. The pure pleasure he's getting—which he expresses with the most adorable grunts, growls, and snorts—as he snort-snoots with reckless abandon is one of the cutest and funniest things I've seen in a while. I couldn't love him more!
Mallow, an albino raccoon who is also deaf and mostly blind, came to the sanctuary as a baby. Because of his hypotonia (low muscle tone), he isn't able to be released, so he's one of the sanctuary's "ambassador" animals.
For Fox Sake Rescue is professionally certified through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, and meets or exceeds all standards set by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. It is also licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to care for native animals, and gets high marks from the USDA during its routine inspections.
For Fox Sake Rescue explains its vision and mission:
We believe that all wild animals deserve to live freely in the natural world whenever possible, but to be protected from unnecessary death and suffering. As humans, our pets, our cities, and our farms continuously intertwine with the wild world, wild animals often become orphaned or injured and need our help. We work tirelessly to rescue orphaned, injured, and sick wild animals, with a particular focus on under-served, high-need species such as bobcats and foxes. We promote peaceful coexistence to protect animals and humans alike from unnecessary conflict. Our patients return to nature after 90-120 days of rehabilitation in human care. This ensures proper recovery time and disease quarantine while respecting the animal's right to a free life in the natural world.
To see more of Mallow, check out For Fox Sake Rescue's website or follow them on Instagram.