Biologists studying pygmy raccoons (Procyon pygmaeus) on the island of Cozumel in Mexico have observed an unusual behavior: the animals were playing with paper balls they had made. This is believed to be the first documented instance of such activity in pygmy raccoons. The behavior raises questions about how exposure to human waste might influence wildlife behavior and highlights the complex interactions between animals and human-modified environments. In the study of non-human animals, the use of objects or materials in nature is often considered a form of material culture. This concept is typically explored in the broader field of "animal culture," which refers to behaviors that are learned socially and passed down through generations. These behaviors usually involve the deliberate selection, modification, and use of objects. While material culture has been observed in species such as primates and dolphins, much of the research has focused on behaviors related to foraging and hunting. This narrow focus has limited the understanding of how material culture manifests across a wider range of species. The researchers from Miami University in Ohio, who conducted the study, suggest that pygmy raccoons—critically endangered and found only on Cozumel—may display signs of material culture. In their article published in the journal Wild, they describe a behavior unique to a group of pygmy raccoons. The biologists note that raccoons, in general, are interesting subjects for studying material culture due to their frequent interaction with human environments and their ability to solve problems and learn quickly. However, most research on raccoons has focused on their feeding behaviors, leaving little exploration of their use of objects unrelated to foraging. During their observations, the researchers noticed two young pygmy raccoons playing with rolled-up paper balls, which they did not seem to use for food. An adult female had first attempted to form a ball using a paper towel, and one of the young raccoons then took the paper and rolled it into a ball in the sand. The other young raccoon tried to imitate the behavior but failed, prompting her sister to assist in completing the task. The two then played by chasing the balls. This play behavior was observed multiple times in the same group. When researchers checked other groups of pygmy raccoons located 30 kilometers away, they found no similar behavior, even though those groups had access to the same type of paper waste. This suggests the behavior may be specific to the group or socially transmitted. While these observations are preliminary and do not confirm a stable cultural tradition, they offer early evidence that pygmy raccoons interact with human-made materials in creative, socially influenced ways beyond foraging. However, the study also highlights the risks of human impact on wildlife, as one of the observed raccoons later died in a rehabilitation center, likely due to malnutrition and exposure to toxic substances from human waste.