Science

Researchers observe endangered pygmy raccoon making toys from trash and transmitting behavior

A study suggests the first documented evidence of material culture in the Procyonidae family, observed on Mexico's Cozumel Island.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 12:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

A young pygmy raccoon was documented fashioning a toy ball out of a paper receipt and playing with it alongside her family on Cozumel Island, Mexico.
Researchers report that the behavior spread to the raccoon's mother and sister, marking potential material culture within the Procyonidae family.
The pioneering raccoon died shortly after, likely due to toxic exposure and malnutrition from human garbage.
Scientists hope the findings will prompt broader recognition of cognitive complexity in raccoons and support conservation efforts.

Biology graduate student Nessie O'Neil observed an endangered pygmy raccoon retrieve a receipt from a trash bin, shape it into a ball using water and sand, and bat it across the ground.[Scientific American]
The raccoon's mother and sister observed the activity and attempted to create and play with their own paper balls.[Scientific American]
The study, published in the journal Wild, may represent the first documented evidence of material culture in the Procyonidae family, which includes raccoons, ringtails, and coatis.[Scientific American]
Pygmy raccoons are critically endangered and endemic exclusively to Cozumel Island, Mexico.[Scientific American]
The original raccoon died soon after the observation, with researchers attributing the likely cause to malnutrition and toxic exposure from human refuse.[Scientific American]
The raccoon's sibling continued to make balls from discarded paper even following the first raccoon's death.[Scientific American]

Whether this social transmission represents widespread cognitive capability across the species or was an isolated occurrence among this specific family group remains unconfirmed.[Scientific American]