‘Hot Jimothy Summer’: Mutant raccoon is scurrying through Seattle yards — and into their hearts

While most raccoons are seen as a nuisance, going through people’s garbage and potentially carrying rabies, one masked bandit scurrying through Seattle yards has stolen the hearts of locals. The mutant-looking raccoon named Jimothy has been all over social media, gaining buzz for his uniquely curved back. In one video posted on Instagram, Jimothy was seen prancing across a lawn before going up concrete steps. The woman filming the video can be heard saying, “What am I looking at?”She said in the post’s caption that she and her partner “were graced with the presence of Jimothy the raccoon with short spine syndrome. Praise Jimothy!!”‘Jimothy,’ a mutant raccoon with a rare, short-spine condition has take Seattle by storm (TMZ via Video Elephant)Short spine syndrome is a rare genetic condition that significantly shortens the spine. Some people may have seen the condition in dogs that have very short necks. One Reddit user shared a clip of Jimothy on a balcony, squeezing through two bars in the railing. Fans couldn’t get enough of the critter, with one Reddit user commenting, “I desire a repository of more Jimothy videos and pictures, PLEEEEASE.”“Petition to make Jimothy the state animal or Seattle mascot,” another wrote. “Hot Jimothy Summer,” a third wrote, riffing off “Hot Girl Summer.” The phrase comes from rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s 2019 song “Hot Girl Summer.” At the time, she cleared up what it meant: “Being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth , being the life of the party etc.” Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Department told The Independent it has not received any calls about Jimothy.The department says it’s common to find Raccoons in the state, often in urban areas with food. “As long as raccoons are kept out of human homes, not cornered, and not treated as pets, they are not dangerous,” the department writes on its website.