Pygmy raccoons seen crafting toy balls from trash, teaching each other

Critically endangered pygmy raccoons on Mexico’s Cozumel Island have been observed making toy balls out of rubbish and teaching the skill to each other, in a rare example of animals crafting objects purely for play.

The behaviour was documented in January-February 2026 by biologist Nessie O’Neil from Miami University, Ohio, while studying the impact of tourism on the species. The findings were published on August 25 in the journal Wild.

According to the study, a juvenile female raccoon fished paper – including receipts and napkins – out of a beach club waste bin, carried it to a water bowl, dipped it, and rolled it in sand until it formed a compact ball. The ball was then batted across the ground and chased.

Over 64 hours of observation, researchers recorded 14 ball-making sequences, eight of which produced completed balls. The juveniles played football with the balls, sometimes batting them to each other and even to dwarf coatis.

The skill appeared to be socially learned. One sibling watched the other and tried to copy her. After initial failed attempts, she later succeeded in making a ball from a hamburger wrapper on her own. At a second site 30 km away with similar access to paper and water, no raccoons showed the same behaviour, suggesting it is a local tradition rather than a species-wide habit.

Researchers say it is the first documented evidence of “material culture” in the Procyonidae family, which includes raccoons, coatis and ringtails. While tool-use for food has been seen in many animals, crafting objects just for play is rare.

Fewer than 200 mature pygmy raccoons remain, found only on Cozumel Island off the Yucatán Peninsula. The discovery highlights both their intelligence and the threats they face from habitat loss, pollution and tourist food. The pioneering ball-maker later died from a combination of malnutrition and toxic exposure, the researchers said.