Who is 'Jimothy'? Why a Seattle racoon has gone viral
SEATTLE - He's small, he's round, and he's gone viral.
A racoon with short spine syndrome, affectionately named "Jimothy," has been spotted roaming around Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. Neighbors posted videos of the miniature mammal online, which have since amassed millions of views.
A video of Jimothy running in Ballard. (Credit: @c1vrgr1 on Instagram)
Whether he's scurrying across the street or sneaking around someone's backyard, the public just can't seem to get enough of Jimothy. So, what makes this racoon so special?
Why does Jimothy look like that?
Jimothy appears to have a spine deformity, giving him a significantly smaller torso compared to most racoons. The racoon likely has a rare condition called Short Spine Syndrome, which compresses the vertebrae and makes it appear as if he has no neck.
Despite his unconventional appearance, Jimothy appears to be thriving in his local habitat and doesn't seem to be letting the deformity affect his day-to-day activities.
Where is Jimothy?
Jimothy appears to be centered around Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, with cell phone and home security video capturing the animal in residential neighborhoods.
It's unknown which area of Ballard Jimothy seems to frequent the most, especially with many flooding in to try and capture the viral creature themselves. However, he's reportedly been spotted around Northwest 50th Street.
Have you seen Jimothy? Give us a shout or send us a photo at FOX13Tips@FOX.com
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The Source: Information in this story came from videos of Jimothy posted to social media and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.