Who Is ‘Jimothy’? The Viral, Round Raccoon, Explained

Arts Who Is ‘Jimothy’? The Viral, Round Raccoon, Explained Who (or what) Is ‘Jimothy’? Social media has become obsessed with an oddly shaped raccoon from Seattle—here’s everything you need to know. By Dani Di Placido ,

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dani Di Placido covers film, television, and internet culture. Follow Author Jul 26, 2026, 03:12pm EDT Updated Jul 26, 2026, 03:16pm EDT You may have seen clips of a strangely circular creature scurrying across your timeline lately—it’s not an AI-generated monstrosity, but “Jimothy.”

Jimothy is a uniquely shaped raccoon who has won the heart of social media users, attracting a dedicated online fandom.

A resident of Seattle, Jimothy’s striking appearance is the result of a condition suspected to be short spine syndrome, a rare deformity that results in a round body shape and short limbs.

The condition could have been a death sentence for a young raccoon, but somehow, Jimothy has managed to thrive, his deformity imbuing him with the cutesy, cartoonish proportions of a Pokémon, or perhaps a Squishmallow.

For a year, locals have spotted Jimothy on his travels, some managing to capture him on camera, posting clips online. If visitors to Seattle are lucky, they might catch a glimpse of the rotund raccoon.

Over time, the clips and photos began to attract the attention of the wider web, snowballing until the raccoon suddenly exploded into virality, becoming something of an internet icon.

Jimothy has been jokingly compared to a cryptid, like a friendlier, fuzzier version of the chupacabra.

While no one knows for certain, it’s assumed that Jimothy is a male (although, some have questioned Jimothy’s gender).

The raccoon was given his unusual name by Seattle resident Kiana Hall, who posted a popular video of him on Instagram .

In a fateful act of spontaneity, she dubbed him “Jimothy” in her caption, and the internet immediately accepted the title.

“He just looked like a Jimothy to me,” Hall explained.

During the early days of Jimothy fandom, the famous raccoon was sometimes referred to as “Bob,” but that didn’t stick—sometimes, a punchy stage name is all it takes for a celebrity’s star to shine.

Thanks to the efforts of Seattle’s animal-lovers, fans have plenty of cute clips and photos to dig through, going back to when Jimothy was still a baby, persevering with the help of his devoted mother who patiently guided her ball-shaped son to adulthood.

Jimothy isn’t the first cute animal to unite the digital landscape in collective “awww”—he follows in the footsteps of Moo Deng , the shiny pigmy hippo, and Punch the monkey , whose heartbreaking habit of clutching a stuffie for comfort turned him into a simian celebrity.

Jimothy marks something of a shift, as the viral raccoon is unconventionally adorable—he’s deformed, but his compressed body echoes the hyper-accelerated cuteness of “kawaii,” characterized by squishy anime critters with impossibly huge, sparkly eyes.

To draw a cute creature, the circle is the only shape that matters (of course, Jimothy has inspired plenty of fan art).

Jimothy’s body might not be optimized for survival, but when it comes to invoking human empathy, it’s perfect.

Everyone loves to root for an underdog, and the Jimothy fandom continues to spread—the viral raccoon has reached the stage of celebrity in which brands start to join in on the memes.

On Instagram, Jimothy has been officially acknowledged by Budweiser , while on X (Twitter) the official NASA account posted a tribute to Seattle’s iconic raccoon, stating, “Jimothy runs this city.”

Jimothy seems designed to roam a fantasy landscape—he’s made a cameo in Minecraft , is due to appear in World of Warcraft , and has become an official Dungeons & Dragons NPC, boasting the ability to “Hurl Garbage” at enemies, along with “Compact Frame,” which enables Jimothy to “move through a space as narrow as 4 inches without expending extra movement to do so.”

Google has even introduced a hidden Easter egg for Jimothy, as searches for his name trigger an animation of the raccoon running across the screen.

Jimothy has inspired a range of tributes, edits, jokes and memes across the internet.

One X user even managed to find the “opposite of a Jimothy.”

The growing fandom of Seattle’s round raccoon is one of those rare internet trends in which positivity is the point—Jimothy simply sparks joy.

Hopefully, he continues to roll around Seattle for many more years, undisturbed by his newfound celebrity status.