Meet Jimothy, the unusually round Seattle raccoon who is capturing hearts around the world

Just days after Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland made headlines for bringing a taxidermy raccoon home from the World Cup, Seattle's unusually short raccoon has become the talk of the Internet after a video of it roaming the field went viral.

The raccoon nicknamed Jimothy, who is thought to have short spine syndrome, inspires murals, art and tattoos – and, for some, is a symbol of resilience.

“At first I thought it was a cat, then I took out my phone because I love cats. When he got out of the car, I realized it wasn't a cat at all,” Kiana Hall, 33, told Reuters. His video of the raccoon went viral after he caught it on camera on July 13 in the Ballard neighborhood of northwest Seattle.

“I think he's a well-rounded person and a silly guy, and people need something silly and fun in their lives right now.”

And people seem to be having fun.

Jimothy was celebrated by the Seattle Mariners, the Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Public Library on social media. The raccoon will be honored by Seattle councilwoman Alexis Mercedes Rinck at an event next week. The University of Washington joked about awarding him an honorary degree.

But Jimothy is not just a local celebrity. The story made the Manila Times in the Philippines, where Jimothy was described as “a strange-looking raccoon.” Australia's ABC News details a “cult following.”

And the UK charity, the Stroke Foundation joked on Threads that seeing Jimothy relaxing can lower your blood pressure.

'You look like Jimmy'

When Hall first posted the video, he commented: “What am I watching?”

“I could see some kind of gray, soft orb-shaped creature with really long legs,” he told Reuters.

But after many commentators pointed out that it appeared in a raccoon with a birth defect, he named it.

“You look like Jimmy,” Hall said.

The name stuck, and despite not knowing for sure whether Jimmy was male or female, neither was “he.”

Since then, other Seattle residents have posted videos and photos of their sightings, including one of a raccoon walking on a porch, and a post of baby Jimothy from someone who says the raccoon was born to a loving family of raccoons in their neighbor's cedars.

“He was small and scattered but his mother and siblings were always patient and caring, keeping him from falling and sometimes carrying him,” wrote Ben Trammell on Instagram.

“For all the pain of our times [right now]I really like how many people feel connected [with] this funny little creature.”

Now, there are subreddits dedicated to Jimothy fandom and websites that track their views. As of Monday, Hall's video had been viewed more than 18 million times on TikTok alone.

Is Jimmy Right?

Experts said they believe that Jimothy had a birth problem that resulted in a short spine.

“It looks really unusual, but it's a condition that happens in other mammals,” veterinarian Carrie Schneider told Seattle's KIRO 7 News.

Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor at Washington State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, told the Seattle Times that Jimothy's prognosis appears to be good despite his short neck.

“His success over the years tells me that he's in charge and he's getting used to it,” said Logsdon. “I was surprised and honestly a little encouraged that he's strong.”

But another expert, Brian Collins of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, told the New York Post that Jimmy may have a short life expectancy. Its damage can make it difficult to climb trees, eat food and escape predators, he said.

Still, the best thing people can do for Jimothy is to let it be, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife told CBC News.

Feeding wild animals can cause animals to socialize with people, and can cause overcrowding, which can spread disease and parasites.

“We are encouraging people to leave this animal alone as it looks like it is moving well, we cannot help it [the] which appears to have a birth defect,” said the Ministry in a written statement.

“Feeding raccoons can create unpleasant conditions for you, your children, neighbors, pets and the raccoons themselves.”