Jimothy the raccoon is taking over the internet

A racoon walks over the running path in almost deserted Central Park in Manhattan on April 16, 2020 in New York City

A very unusual raccoon from Seattle has become the internet’s newest sweetheart.

Since appearing in a brief video filmed in the city’s Ballard neighborhood, Jimothy has accumulated millions of views and inspired murals, tattoos, merchandise, government public-service announcements, a city proclamation, and even a surprise appearance at a Seattle Mariners game.

Online, fans have promoted him to “King Jimothy,” “Saint Jimothy,” and Seattle’s “sweet prince.” “Hot Jimothy Summer,” a play on Megan Thee Stallion’s “hot girl summer,” has become the unofficial slogan surrounding the unusually shaped animal.

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Jimothy’s sudden fame began with one fairly reasonable question: What exactly are we looking at?

Meet Jimothy, Seattle’s unusually shaped raccoon

Kiana Hall encountered Jimothy while walking with her husband through Ballard on July 13.

Hall initially thought the animal moving beneath a parked car was a cat and pulled out her phone to get a better look. Then it emerged with the familiar masked face of a raccoon and a much less familiar body shape.

Hall posted the video on Instagram and named the raccoon Jimothy, a decision based less on a complicated backstory than an immediate feeling.

“He just looked like a ‘Jimothy’ to me,” Hall told TODAY.com. “I don’t have any other explanation other than I looked at him and he looked like a ‘Jimothy.'”

The name stuck. The video garnered millions of views, while people around Ballard began sharing their own footage of the distinctive raccoon, who’s become a welcome sight in the neighborhood.

Jimothy has a noticeably shortened torso and neck, giving him the round, compressed appearance that first caught Hall’s attention. Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, told The Seattle Times that his shape is likely the result of a congenital spinal deformity.

Some reports have identified the condition as short spine syndrome (SSS), which can cause vertebrae to become shortened or compressed. Jimothy has not been examined by a veterinarian; therefore, there is no confirmed diagnosis based on the videos alone.

Despite his unusual build, he appears able to walk, climb, find food, and move around the neighborhood independently.

“The fact that he’s made it to this age tells me that he’s managing and that he’s adapting,” Logsdon added. “I was surprised and honestly a little bit inspired that he’s that resilient.”

The footage also prompted Ballard residents to dig through their own camera rolls. One user, Ben Trammell, shared videos with a caption that said he believes they show a younger Jimothy living with a raccoon family in nearby cedar trees. He added that Jimothy’s mother and siblings appeared patient with him, sometimes helping or carrying him when he had difficulty keeping up.

It’s a “Jimothy summer”

Clips spread from individual Instagram accounts across social media, including Reddit, where users started collecting possible sightings, older footage, fan art, memes, and updates. A dedicated r/JimothyRaccoon community popped up within days, while commenters declared it “Hot Jimothy Summer,” called him “the most Seattle animal possible,” and urged people to protect him “at all costs.”

As his online following grew, tributes began showing up around Seattle. Artist Andrew Miller painted a mural of Jimothy, while Matt Inman, the cartoonist behind The Oatmeal, drew him in the style of a police sketch “in case the cops need it.” Fans also shared paintings, crafts, memes, merchandise, and other artwork featuring the raccoon, producing enough posts that Seattle’s subreddit created a dedicated Jimothy art-and-crafts megathread.

Some admirers chose a more permanent tribute. Laura Exley, owner of Electric Kitten Tattoo in Ballard, said three customers had booked Jimothy tattoos by July 18, with at least 10 more contacting the studio. A Tacoma tattoo artist also offered discounted Jimothy tattoos and told customers they did not have to use the artist’s original design.

Local organizations soon joined the reaction online. The Seattle Public Library shared Jimothy-themed book recommendations, the University of Washington awarded him an honorary doctorate (“Dr. Jimothy”), and the Seattle Mariners temporarily changed a social media profile image to show the raccoon wearing a team cap.

The Mariners then brought Jimothy into T-Mobile Park. During the team’s July 18 game against the San Francisco Giants, a costumed version of the raccoon joined the traditional seventh-inning Salmon Run, in which four oversized fish race around the stadium (Jimothy defeated all four).

The timing only added to the joke, though. Seattle entered the seventh inning trailing 3-0 and had gone 15 consecutive innings in the series without scoring. Shortly after Jimothy’s victory, Cole Young hit a three-run home run to tie the game, and the Mariners went on to win 4-3 in extra innings on a Julio Rodríguez sacrifice fly.

Fans jokingly credited Jimothy with inspiring the comeback. Whatever role he played, he remains undefeated in professional mascot racing.

Offline, Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck plans to commemorate “Jimothy Summer” during a community event at noon on July 26 in Bergen Place Park, near the Ballard Farmers Market. The gathering may include an art competition featuring some of the many Jimothy-inspired creations that have appeared since her video was posted.

The Washington State Department of Transportation found a more practical role for the rounded raccoon. In a Jimothy-themed litter PSA, the agency reminded drivers that “trash belongs in the trash can, not in the median,” and warned that roadside garbage can draw raccoons and other wildlife into traffic. WSDOT said it spends about $17 million annually cleaning up highway litter and removed 726 tons of trash from state roads in 2025. “But do you really want him crossing four lanes of traffic to get to it?” the agency wrote. “NO.”

Fans are being asked to keep their distance

Jimothy may now be a mascot and a meme, but the real raccoon is still a wild animal.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has asked people not to approach, capture, pet, or feed him. Officials say Jimothy appears to be moving and finding food successfully and should be left to continue living independently.

Residents should also secure garbage, keep pet food indoors, lock pet doors at night, and avoid encouraging raccoons to become comfortable around people.

The Washington State Department of Health offered similar advice in its own Jimothy-themed Threads post.

“As long as you don’t try to pet him, cuddle him, or feed him, Jimothy poses zero health risk,” the department wrote.

People who encounter wildlife that appears injured or distressed in the Seattle area can contact the PAWS Wildlife Center for guidance.

For everyone else, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Jimothy from afar. The murals, memes, tattoos, and mascot races are fair game. The actual raccoon would probably prefer personal space.

Click here to read more >> https://mashable.com/life/jimothy-raccoon-seattle-internet-reactions

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