Conrad (raccoon)
| The Heritage Toronto plaque commemorating Conrad | |
| Map Interactive map of Conrad the Raccoon | |
| Location | Near 819 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°40′21.4′′N 79°23′15.5′′W / 43.672611°N 79.387639°W / 43.672611; -79.387639 |
Conrad was a raccoon that died on the corner of Yonge and Church streets in the Yorkville area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Conrad's remains received widespread attention on social media and in-person tributes before being removed by the City of Toronto's animal services unit.[1]
History
[edit ]Conrad gained attention on the morning of July 9, 2015, where the raccoon's carcass was discovered on the sidewalk of 819 Yonge Street. Five hours after they first noticed it, workers at a technology company placed a condolence card and a rose at the location. A framed photo of a raccoon was added to the makeshift memorial later in the day.[2]
Multiple social media posts, including tweets from then–Toronto city councillor Norm Kelly, were made on Twitter with the intention to alert Toronto's animal services after multiple unsuccessful phone reports.[3] According to freelance writer Kris Pangilinan, Kelly named the raccoon Conrad via a tweet that was later deleted.[2]
After hours without the body's removal, the remains of Conrad continued to be posted on social media under the hashtag #DeadRaccoonTO. Many Toronto residents visited the body with flowers, cards, candles, cigarettes, and a donation box, creating an impromptu shrine.[1] Fourteen hours after the initial discovery, the carcass was eventually removed by animal services after significant pressure on social media.[4]
Legacy
[edit ]A recreation of Conrad and the makeshift shrine was sculpted out of butter at the butter sculpture showcase during the Canadian National Exhibition in 2015 by Ukrainian sculptor Olenka Kleban.[5]
On the ninth anniversary of Conrad's death, a memorial with a eulogy for the raccoon was held at the Museum of Toronto.[4] [6] An official commemorative heritage plaque was erected on the sidewalk by the Heritage Toronto Plaques Program on the tenth anniversary of Conrad's death.[7]
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ a b "Conrad the Raccoon". Heritage Toronto. August 14, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ a b Silverman, Craig (July 10, 2015). "This Is The Definitive Oral History Of The Dead Toronto Raccoon That Went Viral". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ^ "#DeadRaccoonTO honoured by Toronto with sidewalk vigil". CBC. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Colley, Mark (January 12, 2026). "How the death of a raccoon named Conrad once united Toronto—and may bind us still". Toronto Star. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Press, The Canadian (September 4, 2015). "Toronto's favourite dead raccoon now memorialized in butter". CTVNews. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ "In Loving Memory: #DeadRacoonTO". Museum of Toronto. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Lev, Elianna (July 22, 2025). "Dead raccoon that sparked a social media frenzy after being left on Toronto sidewalk gets commemorative plaque". CTVNews. Retrieved March 20, 2026.