The Denver Zoo is full of adorable animals, and a couple of new residents that recently moved in only add to the cuteness.

Pecan and Cashew are two curious raccoons, who were originally saved by Sonflower Ranch and Rescue after being found by a resident in the wall of a home in Boulder last year. Normally, the raccoons would have been released back into the wild, but because the sisters both have a genetic abnormality, the Denver Zoo offered to have them move into the Harmony Hill habitat instead.

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The two raccoon sisters are leucistic, which has resulted in partial pigment loss of their fur. Instead of having an appearance of a normal raccoon, these two young girls have white fur, but Pecan is a tad darker than Cashew. The rings around their eyes and on their tails are a lighter shade than usual too. According to zoo staff, this trait would make it hard for them to survive on their own in the wild in Colorado.

The playful pair arrived at the Denver Zoo in October and remained in quarantine at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital until they were cleared to move to their new habitat. Keeps who are working with the duo say they are already showing great signs of socialization and love to wade in the pool.

Pecan and Cashew will join the zoo's resident grizzly bear, Tundra, who was already living at Harmony Hill. The rescued raccoons will reside on the east side of the exhibit, which is designed to be "backyard-like." Zoo visitors will get to learn how raccoons impact Colorado's ecosystem by getting an up-close look at these cute critters while they get to live out the rest of their lives in a safe and enriching environment.

Animals of the Denver Zoo

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