Man Finds A Rare Snow-White Creature Hiding Inside A Trash Bin In Oakland
Dana Berry was expecting a regular day at Lake Merritt in Oakland, helping out with the Trash Falcons cleanup crew. His plan was simple: pick up garbage, fill some bags, and do his part.
But what he found hiding in a discarded bin completely changed his day.
As he went to move a large cardboard bin, a strange noise stopped him. It wasn’t quite a bark, but it didn’t sound like a meow either, more like a soft, growly squeak.
Curious, Dana leaned in, thinking maybe a rat or opossum had gotten stuck. But what he actually saw made his heart skip.
Peeking out from the box was a tiny animal covered in white fur. Its wide eyes stared up at him, frozen in fear. For a moment, Dana wasn’t sure what he was looking at.
Then it clicked, it was a raccoon. But not just any raccoon. This one was completely white, like a tiny snowball with paws.
It didn’t move, just stayed curled up in the corner, clearly overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. Dana shared in an interview:
“Lo and behold, there was a little guy looking back up at me.”
His fur looked silky, but his tiny body was tense. His little paws were curled tightly, like he was bracing himself for whatever came next.
Dana could’ve called for help, but something told him the little creature was scared enough. So instead, he gently carried the box to a quiet spot near some bushes.
He was hoping to give the raccoon a calmer way out, sharing:
“I lifted him up carefully and I was tempted to call some of the other Falcons over, but then I thought, well, the poor guy is probably terrified.”
As soon as the coast was clear, the raccoon bolted from the box and darted up a tree without even glancing back.
In an instant, it was gone, vanishing into the leaves like it had never been there.
Dana stood there, stunned. He’d shown up to clean trash, not to meet one of nature’s rarest animals.
Spotting a white raccoon out in the wild wasn’t something most people ever get to see. It felt like one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments you don’t expect but never forget.
What he’d seen was a leucistic raccoon. Leucism is a genetic condition that causes animals to lose pigment in their fur, making them appear white or pale.
Unlike albino animals, though, leucistic ones still have normal-colored eyes. That’s why this little raccoon had such striking white fur, but deep, dark eyes full of life.
It’s amazing how quickly nature can turn an ordinary moment into something unforgettable. One minute you’re knee-deep in litter, and the next, you’re face-to-face with a rare creature that looks like it stepped out of a dream.
That tiny white raccoon may have only appeared for a few seconds, but it left a lasting impression on Dana. For him, that brief encounter was more than just rare; it was pure magic.
