THERE'S A RACCOON IN MY PARKA

Rocky Raccoon needed less nursing than The Seal in My Sleeping Bag (1972) but he's just as friendly and endearing. His timely arrival in Victoria, B.C., barely preceded the death of Sam the Seal; weaned on Apple Jacks, he joined Lyn and Canadian biologist husband David on their prowl for photographic opportunities in Alaska. Rocky's not their only improbable pet: he shares the spotlight with Scarlett the jealous macaw, Gypsy the gibbon, and Bubu the bear at home, and, temporarily, Bun Bun the snowshoe hare on the road. In between the anecdotes of circumvented bureaucrats and toasted socks are more serious excursions into wildlife issues, with a close look at the endangered sea otters and a short history of recent attempts to relocate them along the Pacific coast. No sign of the pipeline in this neck of the woods--just shenanigans, emergencies, and blithe spirits.