The Cozumel raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus), also known as the pygmy raccoon, is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Found only on Cozumel Island, Mexico, this species of Mexican raccoon is critically endangered, with fewer than 250 individuals left in the wild. But these raccoons face a problem even bigger than habitat loss, disease, or human encroachment—people don’t even know they exist.
And part of the reason? Google is spreading misinformation.
Why People Don’t Know About the Cozumel Raccoon
While visiting Cozumel, I asked other tourists if they had seen the raccoons, and the response shocked me. A surprising number of people confidently told me:
“Actually, they’re called coatis here.”
Except… they’re not.
Two completely different species, yet people were convinced that the Cozumel raccoon was just a coati.
So why is this happening? Because when you Google “Mexican raccoons” or “types of raccoons in Mexico,” you’ll never guess what comes up… Coatis.
Google has misclassified coatis as “Mexican raccoons,” effectively erasing the actual Mexican raccoon species—the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the critically endangered Cozumel raccoon. Even worse, google’s faulty AI Overview is now claiming that the Cozumel raccoon is a type of coati, which is completely false.
If people can’t even Google a species correctly, how can we expect them to care about its conservation?
How You Can Fix Google's Mistake and Conserve Endangered Mexican Raccoons
Step 1: Report Incorrect Google Search Results
1. Google phrases like “Mexican raccoons,” “species of raccoons in Mexico” or “what kind of raccoons live in Mexico.”
2. If coatis appear instead of actual raccoons in the Google AI Overview, scroll to the bottom and click the thumbs down.
3. Click “Report a problem”
4. Click “Not Factually Correct”
5. Type something along the lines of: “Mexican raccoons are not coatis. The two raccoon species in Mexico are the common raccoon, Procyon lotor and the critically endangered pygmy raccoon/Cozumel raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)”
6. Click “Include a screen capture” and submit.
Step 2: Report Incorrect Search Listings
- Find any search result that refer to coatis as Mexican raccoons
- Click the three dots next to the listing.
- Scroll right and click “Feedback.”
- Select “Inaccurate content”
- and explain the error by typing something along the lines of “Mexican raccoons are not coatis. The two raccoon species in Mexico are the common raccoon, Procyon lotor and the critically endangered pygmy raccoon/Cozumel raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)”
- Click “Include screenshot.”
- Submit your report.
Why This Matters for Conservation
For conservation to be effective, people first need to know the species exists. If the Cozumel raccoon remains invisible online, it will struggle to gain funding, research support, and legal protection.
Search engines play a massive role in shaping public knowledge. By correcting misinformation on Google, we can help ensure that when people look up “Mexican raccoons,” they find the real raccoons of Mexico, not just coatis.
This small action can make a huge difference in raising awareness about the Cozumel raccoon and giving it the attention it desperately needs.
