Port Orange dump site causes concerns for wildlife after 2 raccoons spotted with jars stuck on their heads | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Port Orange dump site causes concerns for wildlife after 2 raccoons spotted with jars stuck on their heads

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Published  June 4, 2025 8:21am EDT
Pets and Animals
FOX 35 Orlando
Raccoon caught on camera with jar stuck on head in Port Orange

Raccoon caught on camera with jar stuck on head in Port Orange

A Port Orange woman is sounding the alarm after capturing disturbing video of a raccoon with its head stuck inside a jar—an incident she says is becoming alarmingly common near her home.

The Brief

    • A large dumping ground in Port Orange has residents concerned for the safety of local wildlife.
    • A resident recently spotted two raccoons wandering around with jars stuck on their heads, and one of the animals later died.
    • One woman is hoping to help rescue the second raccoon and is asking code enforcement to step in and address the dumping site.

PORT ORANGE, Fla. - A large dumping ground in Port Orange has residents concerned for wildlife after two raccoons were recently spotted wandering around with jars stuck on their heads. One of the animals later died, and the search is now on for the second raccoon, with locals remaining hopeful they can help to rescue it. 

What happened?

What we know:

A new video submitted by a FOX 35 viewer shows a raccoon with a jar stuck on its head in the Port Orange area of Volusia County.

The woman who saw the animal, Melissa, tells FOX 35 that she reached out to animal control and code enforcement for help. 

FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie spoke with the woman, who said it's not the first time this has happened. 

In the last month, Melissa says she has seen two separate raccoons with their heads stuck in jars. The first incident happened on April 29, and the second happened on May 1.

Melissa was able to capture one of the incidents on her home security cameras.

In the video, one of the raccoons can be seen with a jar on its head, wandering aimlessly around the porch and up to one of the cameras.

Melissa says she left out food for the raccoon and stayed up to try to rescue the animal, although her efforts were unsuccessful. She later found the raccoon dead at a nearby retention pond.

A large dumping ground in Port Orange has residents concerned for wildlife after two raccoons were recently spotted wandering around with jars stuck on their heads. (Credit: Melissa)

What we don't know:

The second raccoon has not been located, and it is unknown whether it was able to free itself from the jar. 

‘Very sad’

What they're saying:

Melissa believes the incidents stem from a large dumping ground off Spruce Creek Road that contains piles and piles of rotting garbage.

"It's just very sad," Melissa says. "This is what the animals are going through when they're in our woods. There's everything from buckets to all kinds of bottles. These are things that I feel code enforcement should be staying on top of." 

Four weeks ago, Port Orange code officials told FOX 35 that they were contacting the owner of the dump site property and taking steps to get the area cleared. However, since then, Mackenzie says the site doesn't look much different, and possibly even worse. Mackenzie again reached out to Port Orange code officials for an update, but she didn't hear back.

Mackenzie also reached out to Port Orange Animal Control, who told her that multiple officers had been out to the dump site to try and track down the second raccoon with the jar on its head, but they have so far had no luck. 

What's next:

Port Orange Animal Control brought a raccoon trap to Melissa and her husband, and the pair said they have been using stinky foods to hopefully help lure the raccoon in so they can help it.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information gathered by FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie in an interview with Melissa, the woman who spotted the raccoon.

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