Behavioral patterns of a coordinated attack by a group of Procyon lotor on a bat in an urban coastal lagoon in Mexico

Raccoon attack on bat

Abstract

Ecological interactions between opportunistic mammals and bats emerge as a consequence of anthropogenic pressure and forced cohabitation in urban areas. During a wildlife diversity monitoring program in the Valle de las Garzas lagoon, Colima, Mexico, systematic camera-trapping was used to document interspecific interactions within a fragmented environment. Camera traps operated continuously for 24 h during 30 days and were programmed to record 20-s videos with a 1-s trigger interval; no bait or attractants were used. On November 20, 2025, at 18:16 h, a coordinated attack by three individuals of Procyon lotor on a fruit bat (Artibeus sp.) was recorded. The event lasted 20 seconds; following a failed flight attempt from a low perch (< 1 m), the bat fell to the ground, prompting two raccoons to actively return and initiate a simultaneous aggression, followed by a third individual. The camera was inspected 10 days after the event. Despite killing the specimen, the procyonids did not consume or further manipulate it. This represents the first record in Mexico of such coordinated attack behavior on a free-ranging fruit bat. The lack of consumption suggests the event reflects ecological dominance or territorial aggression resulting from high population density in urban wetlands, highlighting the remarkable behavioral plasticity of P. lotor under anthropogenic pressure.