These little rascals always find themselves in the craziest situations – and they seem to fit right in. Being weird obviously comes naturally to them!
Recently, I stumbled upon a photo of a raccoon riding an alligator in Ocala National Forest, Florida. Yes, you read that right! As one YouTube comment put it:
“Nothing can be more badass than a raccoon riding an alligator.”
Richard Jones, a Florida native, was walking one day with his family along the Ocklawaha River when they spotted this unusual scene.
In an interview for his local news, Richard said:
“I snapped a lucky picture right when the gator slipped into the water and the raccoon jumped off and scurried away.”
A raccoon gatorboarding is definitely not something you see every day. But did it actually happen? It appears some people have their doubts…
Real-Deal Or Photoshop?
Richard’s photo of a raccoon hitching a ride across a river was largely met with humor online, with many people declaring that a raccoon riding an alligator is the most Florida thing ever.
However, as often happens, some questioned the authenticity of the photo, suspecting it had been manipulated in Photoshop.
In a conversation with National Geographic, Richard insisted the photo was real, although some biologists and wildlife photographers expressed their doubts.
Richard responded to the skeptics:
“As for people questioning the photo, I doubt they’ve ever spent any time in the wilderness of Florida. Alligators and raccoons interact constantly, as do all of the animals in the swamp.”
Sure, animals in the wild do interact with each other, but Jason Waller, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Alligator Management Program, pointed out that such interactions aren’t usually so cartoon-like.
According to Waller, raccoons eat alligator eggs and baby alligators, who in return become their predators once they grow up.
That’s why Waller remains skeptical of the photo, saying:
“If it was real, it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime shot.”
According to Richard, the raccoon jumped onto the alligator’s back because it was startled by something it heard.
However, Waller, a biologist, points out that raccoons typically react to such disturbances by running through the woods or climbing a tree, and they generally avoid jumping into the water at all costs.
He also mentioned that it is very unusual for an alligator to remain passive when something jumps on its back, as alligators are skittish and tend to thrash aggressively when touched.
“The idea of an animal jumping on its back and it just casually swimming along like that, that’s very unusual.”
To verify the authenticity of Richard’s photo, Hany Farid, a professor of computer science at Dartmouth College, analyzed the lighting on the raccoon, alligator, and surrounding water, noting that it was consistent with the sun’s illumination.
Farid believes it’s highly unlikely the photo was photoshopped, explaining:
“It would have been very difficult to fake the reflection since it is intertwined with the branches.”
Mallory Benedict, an assistant photo editor for National Geographic, agreed with Farid, pointing out:
“The way the light is hitting the back of the raccoon and the shadows in the foreground are consistent with the direction the light is coming from.”
Even though Farid and Benedict found no evidence of alteration, they couldn’t conclusively dismiss the possibility that the scene was staged.
Honestly, I’m not sure why someone would go through such lengths just for some Internet fame. I believe the photo wasn’t staged – it’s just a rare Florida scene that many people aren’t used to seeing.
What do you think? Was the photo photoshopped or staged? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!