A new biography of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reveals one of the politician's most unusual personal anecdotes—involving a dead raccoon and a roadside dissection.
In "RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise," author Isabel Vincent includes a journal entry where Kennedy describes standing by his parked car on Interstate 684, removing the sexual organs from a raccoon killed on the road. The passage reads: "I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be."
According to the biography, Kennedy's children waited patiently in the vehicle while he conducted this impromptu field study. The journal entry suggests he intended to examine the specimen further, though his specific motivations remain unclear.
"Yes ... RFK Jr.'s brother Douglas Kennedy and cousin Bobby Shriver are the family weirdos," the biography notes, referencing Kennedy's own comparison in the journal.
This isn't the first strange animal story involving the former Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy previously admitted to dumping a dead bear carcass in New York's Central Park as a practical joke, placing a bicycle on top of the animal. He has also recounted encounters with deceased whales during his environmental advocacy work.
The biography, released this week, offers numerous personal revelations about Kennedy's life and career, though the raccoon incident stands out for its peculiar nature. The story emerges as Kennedy continues to be a prominent figure in American politics, now serving in President Trump's administration.