The 35-pound male was a pioneer in bypassing municipal tamper-proof lids and a fierce defender of local refuse.
OAK PARK, Ill. — Barnaby, a 3-year-old suburban raccoon who fiercely maintained his dominion over the municipal park district dumpster, died early Tuesday following a brutal turf war over a discarded sleeve of powdered donuts. He was 3.
Emerging as a dominant nocturnal figure in late 2022, Barnaby rose to local prominence by becoming the first of his species to successfully bypass the facility’s supposedly tamper-proof hydraulic lid. Colleagues remembered him as a tireless worker who routinely spent up to seven hours a night meticulously sorting through municipal recycling, holding the neighborhood record for successfully intimidating an animal control officer.
He brought an unparalleled level of aggression to waste management.
He is survived by four mates, thirty-eight unacknowledged offspring, and an extensively chewed styrofoam cooler. Services will be held at dusk beneath the high school baseball bleachers.