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When you visit a state park on a sunny day you might expect to see people enjoying themselves. You might also expect to see an interesting bird or two. But if you look carefully, you might see creatures you did not expect to see. |
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We recently visited Ludington State Park near Ludington, Michigan. We saw people in canoes and kayaks and paddleboats. |
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We saw a Red-headed Woodpecker, some Mallard ducks, and an Oriole, and then we spotted a very mysterious creature. |
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We were walking along a trail beside Lost Lake and we spotted a dark shape moving through the tall grass at the water's edge. |
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What could it be? |
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What do you think? The tail is too small for it to be a beaver. |
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It must be a young raccoon! |
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The face is certainly a raccon's face. |
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He or she looks cuddly, but raccoons carry many diseases and parasites, and they are too wild (and clever) to make good pets. |
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We didn't know if he was hunting for food or simply exploring. |
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He ignored us and continued his journey, making little noises that were a cross between a chirp and a squawk as he walked along. |
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He ambled across this boardwalk to a little island and began to explore its shoreline. |
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Goodbye, little raccoon. |
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