The El Paso County Assessor’s Office doubled as a wild animal refuge last summer when an employee brought two baby raccoons to work.Ramie Saragian, who temporarily adopted the critters after they were abandoned under a porch, needed to bottle feed the pair often.”It wasn’t distracting at all,” County Assessor Mark Lowderman said in an e-mail. “Oh, there was the expected curiosity when they first came in, but after that everyone got used to them.”The babies slept most of the time in an animal carrier.”Everyone really got involved in their progress,” Lowderman said. “It was a great morale booster. They were great fun, and I miss the little guys.”There might be a second round next summer, because it’s likely Saragian will put her training from the Wild Forever Foundation to work again.A 25-year-old Springs native, she’s loved animals since her parents rescued a baby black squirrel when she was 5. “I just thought that was the neatest thing anyone could ever do,” she said.In the last year, she’s cared for four rabbits, five squirrels and the two raccoons.The idea is return them to their natural habitat when they’re ready.

When Saragian got the raccoons in May, she bottle-fed them every four hours, day and night.Although some wildlife advocates discourage emotional attachment to wild animals, Saragian named the raccoons Ross and Rachel after characters on the TV series “Friends.”The duo lived in her basement in a ferret cage for 10 weeks, where they made their wishes known. “They have a little squeaker when they’re babies,” she said.After outgrowing the bottle, the raccoons ate baby food, damp cat food and had to learn to crack and consume a raw egg. They also had to learn how to climb down a tree.”They could climb up just fine but didn’t know how to get down,” Saragian said.When the raccoons were moved to a secluded cage in the backyard – a step designed to break their bond with humans – they ate boiled chicken and started to develop natural instincts, including shunning humans, she said.”You basically clean (the cage) and feed and that’s it,” she said.Saragian said because she has no children, she has time to dedicate to animal rescue, including feral cats, and her regular tenants – two Chihuahuas, a Labrador and a blue heeler.”I’m always the one to bring home the animals, the strays, anything that needs help,” she said, noting her husband, Chris, approves.After a summer of caring for the masked duo, the time had come in September.”It was hard to say goodbye, because I spent so much time making sure Ross and Rachel would survive,” she said. “Once they are released it is out of your hands.”She last saw them waddling into the wild not far from Cave of the Winds.”From the beginning, I knew this is why we do it – for the release. You don’t do it for any other reason.”Contact the writer: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazettedev.gazette.com

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