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James Cecil "Jim" Blackwood Jr. (born: July 16, 1953) is a Canadian YouTuber, musician and former police officer primarily known for his videos in which he feeds large numbers of raccoons on his property in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
Biography
[edit]James was born on 16 July 1953 in Westville, Nova Scotia, Canada; one of four children born to James and Kathleen Blackwood. He previously served with "B Division" of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, serving several communities in Newfoundland, and appeared on national television after claiming to have seen a UFO in 1978 while on duty near Clarenville. After retiring from the RCMP, he returned to Nova Scotia and began working as a school bus driver, and as a building supervisor.
Blackwood joined YouTube on 29 September 2007 but did not upload his first video until 1 July 2011. Over the next several years, Blackwood's content earned him the "Raccoon Whisperer" nickname he has since embraced. He began uploading videos of him feeding raccoons on a near daily basis in 2018. He has also uploaded personal vlogs and videos in which he sings or plays instruments, usually performing covers of popular songs.
Personal life
[edit]James married his wife, Jane Wylie, in 2001. According to Blackwood, his wife originally started feeding raccoons on their property in the 1990s, with the couple often naming the animals and providing them with a variety of food, from doughnuts to hot dogs. When Jane passed away in 2003 after a long battle with cancer, Jim took over feeding duties as a way to honour his wife.
James is also a father and grandfather. He has three sisters; two live in Nova Scotia and one lives in Ontario.
Trivia
[edit]- On 29 May 2019, Blackwood was able to record a red fox as it tentatively visited his porch. Blackwood remained inside his house so as to not scare it away.
- Blackwood uploaded two videos on the night of 29 June 2020, the first of which depicts him feeding only a handful of raccoons before being interrupted by an American black bear, which scared off the raccoons and forced Blackwood to retreat into his home. He uploaded a second video which he recorded from inside his home as the bear came up onto his porch and ate hot dogs, before having a drink of water and leaving.