This is 99% invisible. I'm Roman Mars.

The city of Toronto has a special relationship with raccoons,

or at least they think they do.

We are not the only city with raccoons, but we often act like we are.

We like to think Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world,

and we're strangely proud of that distinction, but we really have no data to back it up.

This is Amy Dempsey, a reporter for the Toronto Star.

Do we have more raccoons than say Chicago or Vancouver? Well we don't actually know. You can't count

urban raccoons, they're all over the place. But who needs data when you can feel it in your

heart? A few years ago when a raccoon died on Young Street,

Trantonians named him Conrad and built a vigil around his body with flowers

and a framed photo and cards.

So if science ever disproves this idea

of Toronto as Raku Nation, I really fear for Toronto.

I think we're going to have an identity crisis.

But Toronto's feelings about raccoons are not uncomplicated.

Our relationship with raccoons is kind of a love-hate relationship.

We hate when they destroy our grass and break into our houses,

and yes, they do break into our houses. And yes, they do break into our houses.

Maybe worse than all this, though,

was the raccoon's proclivity for getting into the compost,

which the city started collecting for the residents in green bins several years ago.

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