Jimothy is the weird little raccoon we need in these dark times

Everyone in Seattle and beyond is obsessed with a raccoon with a spinal condition.

Kiana Hall recorded a video of a ball-shaped creature with long legs, resembling a cryptid or alien, sprinting away from her as she asks, "What am I looking at???" She posted the video on her Instagram and named him Jimothy. According to the Seattle Times, she chose the name "because he looked like a Jimothy."

Jimothy, it turns out, is well-known and beloved in Seattle's hip Ballard neighborhood. The adorable little raccoon is believed to have short spine syndrome, a rare condition in which vertebrae fuse or fail to form in the womb. Short spine syndrome causes limited mobility and can compress internal organs. Once he went viral, more sightings of the little creature climbing and running with apparent ease were posted, so Jimothy doesn't seem to be held back by his condition.

When the world is on fire, it's nice to have something to believe in. Jimothy must be protected at all costs.

Previously:

• Watch this sleepy raccoon yawning, stretching, and settling in for the night

• Sneaky raccoon 'walks' between ceiling joists

• Raccoon falls though ceiling into restaurant

The post Jimothy is the weird little raccoon we need in these dark times appeared first on Boing Boing.