Raccoon With Arrow Through Face Rescued in Massachusetts

A Plymouth raccoon survived for roughly a week with an arrow through her head before animal control officers secured the injured animal and wildlife veterinarians removed the projectile.

A resident in Plymouth first spotted the injured raccoon and contacted the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable for help, Popular Science reported. Because the animal was still mobile, center staff directed the caller to local animal control. Plymouth Animal Control tracked the raccoon for about a week before successfully apprehending her.

The animal remained difficult to handle throughout the pursuit. Dr. Priya Patel, the medical director at the Cape Wildlife Center, described the patient as a very feisty raccoon. To reduce stress and ensure staff safety, the veterinary team sedated the animal while she was still inside her cage.

X-rays confirmed that the object piercing the animal was an arrow, possibly from a mini-crossbow. The projectile had passed cleanly from the front of the face out the back of the head.

The imaging revealed that the arrow missed the raccoon’s eye, sinus cavity, and any skull fracture, American Almanac reported. Patel noted that the animal suffered no major structural damage. The medical team quickly extracted the arrow, cleaned the wound, applied antibiotic ointment, and started the patient on a course of antibiotics and pain medication.

Authorities have not identified who fired the arrow or whether the incident is linked to regulated hunting. Raccoon hunting is legal in Massachusetts during designated periods, including January 1 through January 31 and from October through the end of the year in 2026, subject to licenses, bag limits, and specific restrictions against hunting on Sundays or during shotgun deer season, according to Massachusetts raccoon and opossum hunting regulations.

Patel praised the persistence of local officers during the multi-day rescue effort. She noted that the animal caught an extraordinary break given the trajectory of the projectile.

The raccoon remains under observation at the wildlife center while she finishes her medication and the wound heals. Staff expect to return her to the wild in the Plymouth area once her recovery is complete.