This will surprise no one, but the oldest raccoon in captivity is a little irritable.

He hisses and growls at every living thing on Earth except the woman who feeds him. He's picky about food. He hates corn, for example. He has arthritis and a bad back, requiring ramps everywhere.

But life is about to change for Merlin, whether he likes it or not: His keepers at the CuriOdyssey wildlife center in San Mateo are introducing two new roommates - a pair of young frisky females - into the grassy digs he's called home for most of his life.

"Let's put it this way. I think Merlin will want to lay a lot of ground rules. He can be a little, uh, cranky," said Nikii Finch-Morales, director of wildlife at the center. "To be honest, we didn't think he'd be around this long. But he just keeps on going."

Merlin is 13 years, 10 months old, making him the oldest raccoon in any site licensed by the American Zoological Association, which includes hundreds of zoos, aquariums and wildlife centers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Next month, he is to become the oldest raccoon ever on record in California and will break the record for the current oldest raccoon in North America, according to the International Species Information System.

In the wild, raccoons typically live two or three years. In captivity, they can live 11 or 12 years. Merlin has astounded everyone.

"Why is he still here? I don't know," Finch-Morales said. "Good genes, I think."

Adapting to city life

Merlin and his brother, Lance, were born in an attic in Los Angeles and ended up at the Los Angeles Zoo, too habituated to people to survive in the wild. Soon the brothers were moved to CuriOdyssey, where they spent the next seven years romping around the rocks and stream in their enclosure, educating children about the importance of living in harmony with wildlife, even if the wildlife likes to knock over garbage cans.

Then, four years ago, Lance died of cancer. Merlin has lived a solitary existence since then, irritated at everyone except Jen Gale, his keeper.

Staff expected Merlin to pass away shortly after his brother. But Merlin persists - spending his days sleeping, eating the usual range of raccoon food (grapes, carrots, trout, mice, dog kibble) and purring for Gale.

They plan to introduce the two new raccoons very, very slowly. And if Merlin is adamant he doesn't want to share quarters, staff won't force him.

Meanwhile, Merlin continues to delight visitors and shed a little light on one of nature's most misunderstood and maligned creatures. Most people think of raccoons as masked marauders, toppling garbage cans, digging up vegetable gardens and terrorizing house cats. But in actuality, they're no more vicious or destructive than any other wild animal - they've just adapted very well to city life, Finch-Morales said.

"They didn't always live in sewers. They're in sewers because we don't have enough trees for them anymore," she said. "A lot of native animals are undervalued because people think they're competing with us for territory. But they have as much a right to be here as we do."

People and raccoons can happily coexist if people keep their garbage secure and seal up holes in their homes to keep raccoons and other critters from moving in. In fact, raccoons can be a bonus: They eat mice, rats, snails, bugs and other nuisances.

Valuable lessons

Aruna Dutta, a mother of four from Portola Valley who was checking out the CuriOdyssey raccoons on Thursday, said she was pleased the museum teaches youths to appreciate, not shun, native wildlife.

"If we plant anything, the raccoons will dig up the seeds and run for it," she said. "But the kids love them. They just sit and stare. It's important to understand the raccoons live here also."

Her friend Simone LaValle, a mother of three also from Portola Valley, said raccoons routinely take on her cat, but she's still happy they're there.

"We're fortunate to be close to so much wildlife," she said.

