As I kayaked one of my Missouri waterways, this juvenile Raccoon (Procyon lotor) scampered up a tree and “hid” behind some of the foliage:
This was an atypical reaction to me in the kayak at this location. Normally, the raccoons don’t pay that much attention to me, and continue to forage at the water’s edge. But this little guy probably had not seen a human before seeing me in the kayak. Last year, this location completely dried up, which meant I did no kayaking here after ~June 01, 2012. Seeing how young this raccoon was, he likely was born and raised at another waterway (there is a semi-major river just a half mile from this location) and is now foraging at this new location. Hopefully, he will become accustomed to the kayak and learn that it will not harm him!