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S30 Ep7

Raccoon Nation

Premiere: 2/7/2012 | 00:00:30 | NR

Find out if human beings’ efforts to outwit raccoons are actually making the animals smarter. 10/31/2012

About the Episode

When the lights go down in cities across North America, another world is revealed, populated by shady little characters that live alongside us, but exist in the margins. These pint-size problem solvers are smart, adaptable and omnivorous, and they love a good challenge. Welcome to the world of urban raccoons. With their busy little hands, they can do what other would-be urban animals can’t — open doors, get into attics, and raid secured trash cans. And they are especially fond of big cities, like Chicago, New York, and Toronto — the raccoon capital of the world. In cities everywhere, wherever they’ve been introduced, they have done very, very well.

Following a family of urban raccoons over the course of six months, and using high-definition cameras and intensive GPS tracking systems, “Raccoon Nation” reveals new insights about a species that is far more elusive and wily than most people ever imagined, and more destructive.

It seems that the more obstacles you throw in their way, the smarter they get. In an effort to outwit raccoons, we may be pushing their brain development and perhaps even sending them down a new evolutionary path. One biologist who has been studying raccoons for 25 years believes the city life is in fact cultivating “über-raccoons,” ready to take over the world. Only time will tell just how advanced this “nation” of urban raccoons will become.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

DIRECTOR
SUSAN K. FLEMING

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
NICK DE PENCIER

CAMERA
KEITH BRUST
ONNO WEEDA
RUSSELL GIENAPP
JOHN & JANET FOSTER
SUSAN FLEMING

EDITOR
CAROLE LARSEN

WRITER
SIOBHAN FLANAGAN

ORIGINAL MUSIC
CHRIS WHITELY
WITH SPECIAL GUEST
RICK FINES

NARRATOR
NORA YOUNG

PRODUCTION MANAGER/BUSINESS AFFAIRS
ANDREA MINTY

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
GEORGIA KOVALIK

SOUND RECORDISTS
NICK DE PENCIER
PAUL ADLAF
SANJAY MEHTA

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
MICHAEL LAING-FRASER

RESEARCH
SYLVIA MAGRYS
DEA SAGNELLA
ELIZABETH COOK

WRANGLERS
MUSKOKA WILDLIFE CENTRE

JAPAN FIXER
ANNE PICK

GRAPHIC DESIGN
PETER KOVALIK

STOCK MUSIC
TTG MUSIC

POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
JOSEPH MURNAGHAN

COLORIST/ON-LINE EDITOR
DAVID HEDLEY
MARK DRIVER

VISUAL EFFECTS
ERIC WHEATLEY

SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR
DAVID ROSE

DIALOGUE EDITOR
BARRY GILMOUR

ASSISTANT SOUND EDITOR
KRYSTIN HUNTER

FOLEY ARTISTS
ANDY MALCOLM
GORO KOYAMA

RE-RECORDING MIXER
LOU SOLAKOFSKI

PUBLICITY
JILL SPITZ

TRANSLATION/TRANSCRIPTION
MAKIKO ISHIHARA
BRENDAN KOVALIK
JANNA LÜTTMANN
KIRSTIN TURNBULL

VOICEOVER CAST
KAI KRUEGER
MINA KITAGAWA
OLAF RELITZKI
GORO KOYAMA

STOCK FOOTAGE COURTESY OF
JOHN & JANET FOSTER
CORBIS CANADA
GOOGLE MAPS

SPECIAL THANKS:
MURRAY KREUZER
FRANK BEEKER
THE MONKS OF MANPUKUJI TEMPLE
NATALIE RAMB
DR. STAN GEHRT
CONSTANCE LAING
DR. SUZANNE MACDONALD
BILL SPAHIC
MARC DUPUIS-DESORMEAUX
KATHLEEN TAYLOR
DR. ANDREW IWANIUK
BILL DOWD
DR. MIEKO KAWAMICHI
STEVEN GOOD
FRANK UWE-MICHLER
ELIZABETH BRAATEN
BERIT KOEHENEMANN
MOIRA DEVEREAUX
DR. GRAHAM CRAWSHAW
BRUCE YOUNG & FAMILY
GABBY MULLER & STEPHAN MICHAEL
THE TORONTO ZOO

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR CBC
MICHAEL ALLDER

SENIOR PRODUCER FOR CBC
CAROLINE UNDERWOOD

“Rascal the Raccoon”
© Produced by Nippon Animation Co.
Broadcast on Fuji Television Network
Based on the novel “Rascal, A Memoir of a Better Era” by Sterling North
Opening Theme song: “Rock River e”
Performed by Kumiko Oosugi
Series Original Music by Takeo Watanabe

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
SUSAN FLEMING

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF
THE CANADIAN MEDIA FUND/Fonds Canadien de television
Created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry
ROGERS DOCUMENTARY FUND and ROGERS TELEFUND

PRODUCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF
THE CANADA FILM OR VIDEO PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT
THE ONTARIO MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FILM AND TELEVISION TAX CREDITS
CANADIAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS

Produced by Raccoons Inc. © 2011

FOR NATURE

SERIES EDITOR
JANET HESS

SERIES PROJECT MANAGER
JANICE YOUNG

SERIES POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
LAURA METZGER LYNCH

BUDGET CONTROLLER
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
JAYNE JUN

RE-RECORDING MIXER
ED CAMPBELL

HD ONLINE EDITOR
PATRICK KRASS

EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION
BILL MURPHY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
FRED KAUFMAN

Produced by Raccoons Inc. in association with THIRTEEN for WNET

This program was produced by Raccoons Inc. which is solely responsible for its content.

© 2012 THIRTEEN
All rights reserved

WEB CREDITS

DIGITAL LEAD
KATE FULTON

DIGITAL ASSOCIATE
CHIE WITT

RESEARCH AND WRITING
MOLLY FERRILL

DESIGNER
JOY WEEENG

PAGEBUILDING
BRIAN SANTALONE

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN LEE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
NICK MILLER

SENIOR DIRECTOR
DANIEL B. GREENBERG

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