We have a simple rule in Essex County. If raccoon are active at night, probably healthy. However, if a single raccoon is active in daylight, it may be mid stage rabies and we shoot to kill. The same with a bat or possum in daylight. The bat cannot be caught easily. The possum can be shot.
This is not the case with coyote hunting lamb, goat, or a calf in packs or individually. We shoot coyote to kill, also coy dogs. We do not worry about rabies in dogs. We simply wish to protect livestock. Rodents, feral cats, wolf, bear, puma or mountain lion, all different. These animals are wild. Their habits may vary with hunger and cold. When they fear man, they are probably healthy. When they do not fear man, they are likely to be rabid.
Rabies is detected in the brain. Thus, a fresh kill is needed for certain detection. If contact with any warm blooded animal is experienced, rabies vaccine should be considered. Take bat, for example. If brushed by a bat during the day, get the rabies vaccine. I follow the same rule for bats at night. We give the wild animal to animal control for testing of its brain in Albany. That test is free.
In our county, rabies vaccine is free when countering sudden exposure. For the farmer seeking routine protection, the vaccine is costly.
New Yorkers should not handle the raccoon or possum. Rabies is increasingly common in the wild. Coyote and coy dogs roaming in the city are another story. They may be rabid or simply hungry. There is no way to tell.
This is not the case with coyote hunting lamb, goat, or a calf in packs or individually. We shoot coyote to kill, also coy dogs. We do not worry about rabies in dogs. We simply wish to protect livestock. Rodents, feral cats, wolf, bear, puma or mountain lion, all different. These animals are wild. Their habits may vary with hunger and cold. When they fear man, they are probably healthy. When they do not fear man, they are likely to be rabid.
Rabies is detected in the brain. Thus, a fresh kill is needed for certain detection. If contact with any warm blooded animal is experienced, rabies vaccine should be considered. Take bat, for example. If brushed by a bat during the day, get the rabies vaccine. I follow the same rule for bats at night. We give the wild animal to animal control for testing of its brain in Albany. That test is free.
In our county, rabies vaccine is free when countering sudden exposure. For the farmer seeking routine protection, the vaccine is costly.
New Yorkers should not handle the raccoon or possum. Rabies is increasingly common in the wild. Coyote and coy dogs roaming in the city are another story. They may be rabid or simply hungry. There is no way to tell.
2
People just need to learn to live with urban wildlife. Killing is not the answer. Keep your garbage tightly covered, don't leave food for animals outside. Make sure they can't get in through roofs, windows, openings anywhere in the house. Keep cats and dogs (except when being walked) inside. I like also the advice below about motion activated water spray.
4
We need to learn how to live with wildlife, and not simply destroy intelligent animals who are merely trying to survive. There are ways to repel these animals. Also, all openings in and around living structures should be closed up so raccoons and other animals can not enter. A little research can help save these wonderful animals. Raccoons are just as worthy of our respect as any other wild or domestic animal, just because they are extremely clever and dexterous does not give us license to hate them. Intelligence is a characteristics that we so admire in our companion animals, let's not discriminate just because raccoons are a nuisance to us. Remember we are a nuisance to all of nature.
Raccoons amazing animals. I would suggest that everyone read the book Rascal by Sterling North. This is a true story about the relationship Sterling had with his pet raccoon as a boy. You will never look at raccoons the same way.
Let's be responsible and put in the time and effort to solve this problem in a humane way.
Raccoons amazing animals. I would suggest that everyone read the book Rascal by Sterling North. This is a true story about the relationship Sterling had with his pet raccoon as a boy. You will never look at raccoons the same way.
Let's be responsible and put in the time and effort to solve this problem in a humane way.
8
Maybe humans are the ones who need some population culling?
9
How is any euthanizing humane? Death is death. Killing the animal not for warmth or food, but because it's taking up urban space. The nuisance is the human who took their home.
10
We woke one night to unusual noise, finding our 2 cats watching a raccoon drag a huge full catfood bag across the floor--and we're on the 3rd floor. He took it out to the deck carrying it in his mouth, leaped to the nearest big tree and up he went, kibble dribbling behind.
His little pawprints on the kitchen cabinets were amazing--like E.T. hands. Apparently opening the locked screen door from the deck was no problem for him. Our cats were not interested in taking him on, they stood way back observing. My husband yelled but Rocky didn't seem to care, was on his way out anyway.
In the country it's different, if they're eating your chickens or crop. For those who've never lived in the country they're really pretty clever critters, true survivors wearing bandit masks.
Trap, spay/neuter, release, but some kind of program is needed--we're taking over more & more of wildlife's previous habitat.
His little pawprints on the kitchen cabinets were amazing--like E.T. hands. Apparently opening the locked screen door from the deck was no problem for him. Our cats were not interested in taking him on, they stood way back observing. My husband yelled but Rocky didn't seem to care, was on his way out anyway.
In the country it's different, if they're eating your chickens or crop. For those who've never lived in the country they're really pretty clever critters, true survivors wearing bandit masks.
Trap, spay/neuter, release, but some kind of program is needed--we're taking over more & more of wildlife's previous habitat.
8
Please! For the sake of those of us who live near Prospect Park, don't release trapped raccoons in the park.
2
Trapping raccoons and either relocating them or euthanising them will not solve the problem. There is an endless supply of raccoons. It is illegal to re-locate them because re-locating causes lots of other problems. It is inhumane to trap them. Trapping is completely indiscriminate so you have no idea if the trapped raccoon is the one you are after. Co-existence is the key. As we humans have encroached more and more into the territory of wildlife, they have no choice but to adapt to living with humans. One can discourage them by keeping garbage cans tightly closed, not leaving pet food out at night, closing cat doors, having good screens on open windows, etc. There are all sorts of deterrents available that will not harm wildlife or pets. The Humane Society of the United States has an excellent section on deterring wildlife and co-existing on their webpage.
Raccoons are highly intelligent beneficial creatures. The best thing to do is leave them alone!
Raccoons are highly intelligent beneficial creatures. The best thing to do is leave them alone!
7
I live in Illinois. We have raccoons. I used to be a birdwatcher until I surrendered to the king of the forest. These things are worse than a New York rat. They must be killed. Dropping them off in a happy place just allows them to breed before they return. Once they have invaded, they will not ever be eradicated. They must be killed. If you have to do it yourself, figure out a way. But don't shoot them. They are impervious to being shot. Plus there is your own foot in danger. Get a trap and a 55 gallon drum. DIY. But did I mention they must be killed?
2
they probably feel the same way about you. Humans have taken all the spaces and left nothing for the animals. All living creatures eat, and I too am a birdwatcher, rescuer and feeder. I hate to see a hawk take one of my "friends" but I know that it is not indiscriminate killing, and they do it to survive. If you lost a bird to a raccoon it is simply doing what nature has instructed it to do.
3
I also live in Illinois. I LOVE RACCOONS!! I have had a four year love affair with them, in my area. I have fed them *every* night for four years. This year my average nightly number was 15. The two previous summers it was 20 - 25. I go out among them to refresh their water and distribute food. They have voracious appetites, and they need a lot of food to keep them satisfied. They are very intelligent, sweet little creatures. They co-exist with possums and cats--I also care for two feral cats.
It appears that in NY the raccoons are more intelligent then humans, who are brain-dead . A few years ago, a mother raccoon took over my neighbor's chimney. I talked the neighbor into letting her stay until she was ready to leave with her little family, after which, I capped the chimney. No harm done to anyone or anything. That is one of the heartless problems with relocating, kits might be left to die.
Raccoons are so villainized by truly dangerous, vicious, evil human predators. It is the human predators who are decimating the earth and its other species, and then, humans have the nerve to kill others for whom they have no tolerance. I'll take raccoons over dangerous, ignorant humans.
It appears that in NY the raccoons are more intelligent then humans, who are brain-dead . A few years ago, a mother raccoon took over my neighbor's chimney. I talked the neighbor into letting her stay until she was ready to leave with her little family, after which, I capped the chimney. No harm done to anyone or anything. That is one of the heartless problems with relocating, kits might be left to die.
Raccoons are so villainized by truly dangerous, vicious, evil human predators. It is the human predators who are decimating the earth and its other species, and then, humans have the nerve to kill others for whom they have no tolerance. I'll take raccoons over dangerous, ignorant humans.
7
New York City was not always a cement forest. We are the invaders . The only predators that control our population are us.
7
I've had numerous encounters with raccoons trying to gain access to my apartment (our brownstone building one story taller than the neighbor's on the one side, the other side the same height). They've clawed/gnawed at rooftop vents, tried to pry the roof hatch open, shredded a new window screen (the day I simmered a bolognese sauce with the window cracked for ventilation), run up to my window and stood on hind legs like a puppy, even scared NY's finest when a fellow tenant and I thought we had a rooftop burglar and called the police. Years ago, I'd mentioned to the owners next door I thought there were raccoons living in their cornice. Six years later, after moving abroad & converting the property to rental, they finally patched it—turns out raccoons had been living in their attic for years.
4
I can relate a similar story, with a more gruesome outcome. I lived in a brownstone on 3rd st in park slope with the same arrangement, higher than the neighboring buildings on either side by one story. After staying at a friends one night I came home to find my 6 month old kitten eviscerated in the bathtub, bloody raccoon prints all over the apartment. I expect this one was rabid. I hope it was...
1
you see, animals are intelligent. some humans don't know when to get out the rain. I have seen it with my own eyes. Believe me, it happens. There are a lot worse things in the world than raccoons, and you should enjoy nature before we obliterate it entirely. 14 species have become extinct since 2000.
2
We saw our first Brooklyn raccoon in the late 1980s, but we were living near Prospect Park. Until then, it was just chipmunks and, of course, squirrels. Nowadays we've been seeing lots of raccoons and some possums.
A few years ago, I found a raccoon dead near my curb. I telephoned 311 and was told it would take three days to pick him up. Using several black plastic bags and a workman's mask, I scooped him up, put him in a couple more bags, and left him with the garbage. (Dead cats we bury. Go figure.) Then I poured Clorox over the spot where he'd been lying.
As Atticus Finch says of the rabid dog he has just shot, "It's just as dangerous dead as alive."
A few years ago, I found a raccoon dead near my curb. I telephoned 311 and was told it would take three days to pick him up. Using several black plastic bags and a workman's mask, I scooped him up, put him in a couple more bags, and left him with the garbage. (Dead cats we bury. Go figure.) Then I poured Clorox over the spot where he'd been lying.
As Atticus Finch says of the rabid dog he has just shot, "It's just as dangerous dead as alive."
2
after you look up toxoplasmosis and cats you'll want to use Clorox (R) on them as well.
Toronto is the apparently the Racoon Capital of the World. They are everywhere and one has only to stand outside on a warm night for about 10 minutes to see one lumber by. They are noisy, messy and way too smart, but they aren't aggressive and I've never heard of one "killing a cat" as reported in your article. I personally have a bit of soft spot for them as long as they stay in the trees and out of the house.
7
The trappers have created a profitable perpetual motion machine by illegally releasing these wild animals so they can continue their destructive ways in urban/suburban settings. Off with their heads!
4
Our state laws have similar prohibitions on re-location and killing but that is what our local "critter-control" company does. Job security. They drop them off in the nearby townships in violation of the laws. When I was younger and caught a raccoon or skunk I would release it in one of the rich neighborhoods just to give the residents some grief. Now I deal with them myself. Since our city has a prohibition against discharging firearms (waived for the new deer cull however) the second best way is indeed the old rain barrel. Stuff that cage in there and put a brick on top of it and walk away for a few minutes. City raccoons are not a result of over-population and sprawl like city deer are, raccoons have evolved quickly to live among us and off our detritus. If they are a problem, do away with them, if not, enjoy their company.
For a while I raised chickens just outside the city limits on a small farm. When the raccoons start taking your birds you learn to deal with it yourself. I set two traps a night for a week, and filled each trap each night. I offed so many in that barrel I started to feel bad, and was considering getting a fur trappers permit, and tired of burying them. I started instead to leave them out for the turkey buzzards and other scavengers to get. Circle of life!
For a while I raised chickens just outside the city limits on a small farm. When the raccoons start taking your birds you learn to deal with it yourself. I set two traps a night for a week, and filled each trap each night. I offed so many in that barrel I started to feel bad, and was considering getting a fur trappers permit, and tired of burying them. I started instead to leave them out for the turkey buzzards and other scavengers to get. Circle of life!
3
"live among us and off our detritus"
Clean up after yourself and perhaps they won't come .looking.
Clean up after yourself and perhaps they won't come .looking.
I take it you, and you alone, wanted the right to *kill* the chickens? The most dangerous predator on earth is a human without a conscience.
2
How can anyone not read this and think "gee, maybe removing wildlife doesn't work" ?? We KNOW today that wildlife/nature responds to indiscriminate vacancies by filling them! As long as food, water & shelter exists, wildlife will exist. You remove ONE, now MANY attempt to fill the vacancy. Trappers call this known science JOB SECURITY, and suckers keep paying them.
Resolving the attractants, properly securing your property... WORKS! How about a few less rules that are keeping Trappers happily ripping people people off and few more rules expecting people to be responsible. You don't live in a bubble, people, and Nature doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Resolving the attractants, properly securing your property... WORKS! How about a few less rules that are keeping Trappers happily ripping people people off and few more rules expecting people to be responsible. You don't live in a bubble, people, and Nature doesn't exist in a vacuum.
3
For those sighting/having raccoons visiting nearby, the best advice is to contact your local SPCA as they are likely to have frequent inquiries. Basic guidelines suggest not leaving any food (pet food, garbarge) available, and not trapping and leaving the raccoons in another neighborhood as they may be prey for raccoons already residing there. Raccoons are quite smart, and deserve a better fate than extermination, please contact your local SPCA, veterinary advice instead.
4
I live in Westchester and like everyone else, raccoons are the bane of living life in Westchester. At some point, we have had to contend with raccoons. Our trash cans are their feasting pots. We love to hate them. But for me there was that 'Ah Ha!' moment etched in my memory whence it was only love going forward. My huge, open deck in the back kept getting 'pooped on'. All the cleaning and disinfectants did not stop it. I would grumble and swear, completely exasperated. One day I was just taking in the river, coffee cup in hand when a family of raccoons dangling on the trellis woodwork of my deck gets into my field of vision. There was the chubby mamma raccoon hanging with three pups on her chest and two clinging on to her back. It was a picture perfect family. The minute mamma became aware of my presence, she started baring her teeth, growling. The pups clung closer to her, their heads buried in her fur. Before the scene escalated, I quietly withdrew from the deck. I researched to find out how these exquisite animals could be removed without hurting them. We ended up hiring a licensed trapper who brought in 6 traps, $100 apiece The first day, we found nothing. The second day, there was the snarling, hissing mother in one, two pups in two other cages and one pup caught in the trapdoor, alive. I could'nt bear to watch them leave seeing how the entire family was so distressed. The poops stopped but I keep wondering what happened to the other two pups.
1
"I live in Westchester and like everyone else, raccoons are the bane of living life in Westchester"
I would bet that its the BANKERS who are the bane of existence .
I would bet that its the BANKERS who are the bane of existence .
There have been numerous reports over the years of raccoons going up fire escapes and pushing in screens, ransacking kitchens, pooping everywhere. They will also kill cats and dogs.
Perhaps a NYC law removing licenses from those trappers who simply release them somewhere else?
Perhaps a NYC law removing licenses from those trappers who simply release them somewhere else?
2
I have seen all the broken terrapin shells as a result of raccoon predation at the refuge. I would have hoped that refuge personnel would be trapping and euthenizing these animals.
3
Raccoons are one of the few animals that use a latrine: they will as a group deficate in the same place for years, which could be your attic. And that is a serious health risk due to leptoschlerosis which is deadly to dogs, cats, horses and humans. The parasite can be airborne as well, so cleaning up requires masks.
As with most animals, if you keep food sources locked up they tend to stay away. In farming communities that means locking up chickens in a Fort Knox type coop since raccoons learn latches and locks very quickly.
Raccoons can kill a full grown dog or at least severely claw the dog's muzzle. The claws of a raccoon resemble those of a bear. Never, never sic your dog onto a raccoon.
One solution for NYC would be to start a new fashion craze for raccoon coats, revive the old Fur District in the West 30s, and feature full length coats during Fashion Week. Of course, the city planners who come up with that strategy will probably face exile to Jersey....
As with most animals, if you keep food sources locked up they tend to stay away. In farming communities that means locking up chickens in a Fort Knox type coop since raccoons learn latches and locks very quickly.
Raccoons can kill a full grown dog or at least severely claw the dog's muzzle. The claws of a raccoon resemble those of a bear. Never, never sic your dog onto a raccoon.
One solution for NYC would be to start a new fashion craze for raccoon coats, revive the old Fur District in the West 30s, and feature full length coats during Fashion Week. Of course, the city planners who come up with that strategy will probably face exile to Jersey....
4
I live in Bedford-Stuyvesant and the raccoons there are something else! Last year I left my window open and my nephew forgot to put the pasta away (top floor). I woke up to footprints all over the counter and the pasta gone. I told myself it was a squirrel (ha) until the large raccoon returned the next night for more supper. The animal sat outside on the fire escape patiently waiting for meal time. It gives me hope - animals will survive the destruction we are reeking on this earth even if we don't.
20
I had friends who were an older couple, living together. One day the woman told me how sick she was of her boyfriend eating all her food. He ate all the crackers, ate all the cookies, left a mess on the countertop and denied doing it. One night I went over and we were sitting around in the living room, and a raccoon came wandering through the cat door, made a beeline for the kitchen cabinet, where it proceeded to open the door and take out the box of crackers...
26
PETA won't approve, but perhaps the city should encourage fashionistas to bring back the racoon coat!
4
How typical. Raccoons have had large populations in the Bronx and Queens for a long while. I'm sure Staten Island as well. Now because it's a big story because it's Brooklyn? In any event the raccoons in Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge should not be allowed to live. Humans already decimated the turtle population. Dumping unwante raccoons there is not fair to the turtles.
3
Brendan Behan, iconic Irish author and playwright, was said to consider the New York City of the 1960’s “a place to go for spiritual refreshment… where you’re least likely to be bitten by a wild goat.” Today, as raccoons invade at least one major borough, Behan would no doubt need to add the bandit-masked, ringed-tail trouble maker to his very simple “refreshment” site criteria.
1
Paul Casey got it so right. He said why not trap, neuter and release? God bless him and other like compassionate people. We are suppose to be the people with brains. You could have fooled me.
10
Neutering an animal is not "compassionate" either. Would you like it? Bottom line is there is no easy solution.
Oh, Andre, please. I can think of worse things than human beings calling a halt to procreating for a while.
6
In Massachusetts, if you are a licensed nuisance animal trapper (and you must be in order to trap animals out of season) it is required that the animal must be released on site, or exterminated. Moving them just creates a problem for someone else, not to mention the cruelty of taking an animal from the familiar surroundings where it has lived, and dumping it into an unfamiliar environment where it will inevitably clash with the local raccoons and struggle to find the resources it needs to survive. A trapper who refuses to obey the law should have his or her license revoked, period. The utter ignorance of basic wildlife management in urban cultures is a direct result of children not making the connections to the Real World that gave birth to their species The denial of this natural heritage that belongs to all of us is a tragedy, and is at the root of why we are allowing the Real World to be obliterated, worldwide. If you don't get the love and understanding of the outdoors and wildlife in childhood, you are emotionally and intellectually disabled (whether you know it or not) for life.
4
" A trapper who refuses to obey the law should have his or her license revoked, period"
Can we substitute CONGRESSMAN in that sentence and see how it flies?
"Raccoons benefit people by controlling animal and plant populations. A raccoon may eat an entire wasp nest, including larvae, or eat all of the berries from a Poison Ivy plant, keeping it from spreading. Of course, sometimes they poop out the seeds in a new place, and Poison Ivy grows there."Ffairfax County Pubic Schools website.
Can we substitute CONGRESSMAN in that sentence and see how it flies?
"Raccoons benefit people by controlling animal and plant populations. A raccoon may eat an entire wasp nest, including larvae, or eat all of the berries from a Poison Ivy plant, keeping it from spreading. Of course, sometimes they poop out the seeds in a new place, and Poison Ivy grows there."Ffairfax County Pubic Schools website.
I understand the practical problems with the overpopulation of animals, both with regards to humans and to other animal species. But it's disquieting to see this topic discussed without any acknowledgement that we humans are the real overpopulation problem, destroying the habitats of other creatures wherever we move in. Any policy we make to address these issues should be grounded in full responsibility for that original sin.
8
You guys are missing the boat. Some enterprising restauranteur should feature gourmet raccoon dishes. And bring back raccoon fur collars. There's usefulness and money in them thar critters.
3
I like the 2nd photograph in the article. How many raccoons does it take to change a light bulb?
1
check out the videos on you-tube to find out.
Why the inflammatory language: "Invading?" Last I checked humans were the invaders with millions and millions of us spreading our greed, garbage, and crime. Let's get some perspective and stop with the histrionics. Animals are an important part of the urban ecosystem.
10
I'm not greedy, I don't litter, and I don't commit crimes. I recycle and I compost. But raccoons do transmit serious illness. I'm all for sharing my ecosystem with fellow creatures, just not ones who chew holes hole in my roof.
6
Grant the raccoons corporate status and tax them. They'll soon move overseas.
7
They will attack! A neighbor was chased back to his front porch when a large male in his front yard charged him. Perhaps that's why hunting dogs like the Black and Tan Coonhound are bred to run raccoons up a tree and not confront them directly like other dogs bred to hunt game.
Hope New Yorkers will learn sooner rather than later that this is not an animal to be trifled with!
Hope New Yorkers will learn sooner rather than later that this is not an animal to be trifled with!
8
This is not new news. When I lived in Greenpoint in the early 2000's, there was a family of raccoons in back of the loft building that I lived in on Franklin and Eagle. They used to try and get in my place on the second floor at night. No one believed me.
3
I had one living in the top section of my roof. It caused $500 worth of damage and I had to install a heavy duty air vent in order to keep it from coming back. The trapper charged me another $500, but he never caught it. If I had caught, the little rat would have been sleeping with the fishes.
11
Does Brooklyn have many skunks yet?
Between raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, and the occasional gray squirrel that has invaded our home, I have trapped (and killed) over two dozen animals. Didn't enjoy it a bit; I don't even like to trap mice, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Between raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, and the occasional gray squirrel that has invaded our home, I have trapped (and killed) over two dozen animals. Didn't enjoy it a bit; I don't even like to trap mice, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
5
I disagree with the classification of some people here of raccoons as cute. When the precious few months of good weather enable us city dwellers to have a yard, painstakingly cared for and maintained in anticipation of a few hours a day of human enjoyment, sorry, do not want to share that with a bunch of annoying raccoons. Call me crazy, but I do not appreciate watching a family of 5, eating their way through the grubs apparently under my tiny green space -- watching from the safety of a screened door because the mum, a huge hissing specimen when confronted, is not some one you want to mess with, I say NO, whose yard is it anyway?
11
Considering the lucrative nature of the racoon trapping business, it is no wonder that even licensed exterminators are "trapping and releasing" raccoons, with the full knowledge that they will return to their accustomed urban environment. The concept that they are working on is not humanitarianism, but rather, job security.
14
Wow, racoons might be one the few species not driven to extinction because of mankind! Go Anthropocene!
4
I am an animal lover. But all things in all places. These are pests. They are not native to the north. They are one of the few animals that defecate in heir nest, which make them so abhorrent; with the mess they leave. Even here, in Wisconsin, with large open areas, it is illegal to release a trapped racoon on property without the permission of the owner. They can be controlled. Lead at a high velocity.
Even
Even
9
Talk about native species. Non-natives are worse.
I lived in Puerto Rico for four years. Centuries ago someone got the bright idea to bring mongooses to the island to clean out the snakes living in the sugar cane. The mongooses did a bang up job. You can't find a snake anywhere on the island. They are nasty vicious little beasts.
But it is now over run with mongooses. They have no natural enemy to hold the population down. When the sugar cane is burned to clean off the excess leaves they come streaming out and are everywhere. The majority are carrying rabies. The military base I was at captured 300-400 every year.
I lived in Puerto Rico for four years. Centuries ago someone got the bright idea to bring mongooses to the island to clean out the snakes living in the sugar cane. The mongooses did a bang up job. You can't find a snake anywhere on the island. They are nasty vicious little beasts.
But it is now over run with mongooses. They have no natural enemy to hold the population down. When the sugar cane is burned to clean off the excess leaves they come streaming out and are everywhere. The majority are carrying rabies. The military base I was at captured 300-400 every year.
2
I prefer trap, neuter and release, unless the animal is very sick and poses a threat to humans.
9
Don't New Yorkers have guns ?
Only if they are politicians, friends of politicians or wealthy enough to hire five retired NYC detectives.
5
Only if you can afford to hire five retired NYC detectives.
2
If the trappers release the raccoons, they can probably count on repeat business.
3
Raccoons are known to carry rabies on the East Coast (including in NY - and yes, Brooklyn). Instead of pro-actively euthanizing healthy animals because they are a rabies "vector" why don't health officials immunize them? This can be done via food pellets infused with rabies vaccine and has been successful in other parts of the country. Protects public health and healthy racoons.
6
We had a lot of racoons in Austin TX, but lately the coyotes have eaten a lot of them. Not too many around anymore. People are freaked about the coyotes though. Eat the cats, dogs whatever.
7
Well yes - the Bronx has both raccoons and coyotes. They are both bigger than the ones in Texas. It would be interesting to see the relationship.
2
OK Brooklyn! You've got Rocky Raccoon! I'll gladly trade you several raccoons for one of our local creatures...How about a raccoon for a nice, 6 foot long Water Moccasin? Or I'll take 2 or 3 raccoons, including Rocky, for Larry, our 11 foot alligator? We also have rattlesnakes, coyotes and very large assorted bugs!
I'll take a masked bandit any day!
Oh! We also have escaped Pythons that can grow to 16 feet or larger!
I'll take a masked bandit any day!
Oh! We also have escaped Pythons that can grow to 16 feet or larger!
6
"But what experts call raccoons’ “synanthropic trend” — their capacity to thrive among humans — can also feel invasive. "
About 10% of the world's land is classified as remote or more than 48 hours from a large city. To oversimplify, 90% of land is occupied or fragmented by our cities, roads, and farmlands. It seems as if animals have no choice but to attempt thriving among humans, and when they do, we label them as pests and varmints. So again, which species did say can feel invasive?
About 10% of the world's land is classified as remote or more than 48 hours from a large city. To oversimplify, 90% of land is occupied or fragmented by our cities, roads, and farmlands. It seems as if animals have no choice but to attempt thriving among humans, and when they do, we label them as pests and varmints. So again, which species did say can feel invasive?
18
This just shows how stupid and out-of-touch city people are. They have been removed from the natural environment (like zoo animals), and have no idea how things really work in nature. The ONLY way to rid yourself of pests is to kill them. Stop crying about cute racoons, and man up. I trapped a number of the critters on my place in NH in a Havahart trap, and shot them in the trap (they love tuna). Problem solved. If your chickens are being killed, and your dogs are barking all night, your estimation of "cuteness" will be adjusted.
34
If u think this trapper won't tell u where he is taking them to is because he is not going to kill them i know of a bridge for sale in Brooklyn you might be interested in.
2
Actually, relocation isn't really humane either. You may be separating a mother from her young leaving the orphans to starve to death. The relocated animal doesn't know where to find food, is in another animal's territory and may be attacked, and does not know where to hide from predators. Humane deterrence is the best solution. The Humane Society of the US has a guide called "Wild Neighbors" that explains how to humanely deter, and if necessary, humanely remove wildlife. Use the pull down menu to pick a particular animal. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/wild_neighbors/?credit=web_id86139873
10
Racoons are basically small bears. I see nothing cute about them. The only way it makes sense to let one loose, even into a relatively “natural” area, is if you've neutered it.
6
I never knew that these cute little bandits had become part of our urban landscape. This concerns me as in urbanized areas the Racoon does not have a natural enemy to balance the population; while in Westchester the Cayato's help to keep the population in check.
Healthy Coons will venture out in the daylight and will generally ignore people, rabid racoons may not necessarily do the same. A health coon will be focused, his mission - to find food; a rabid racoon will appear confused, disoriented and ready for a fight. A rabid racoon may have difficulty walking as if it's internal compass is off or like the beer drinking brewer coon.
Garbage - when you put your garbage out in the evening make sure you secure the lid with a cord. These little guys have really sharp claws.
Roofs - Raccoons are master carpenters, they can unhinge the tiles on your roof and find a way into your attics and crawl spaces creating a nice warm cosy den to raise a family. Racoon are master tree climbers. I have seen a motivated Racoon climb a flimsy tree just to get on a roof. Say no to rent free tenants by keeping tree branches away from your home.
Trapped racoons must be uthenized, it's the law and the responsible thing to do. Releasing a racoon in a urban park or some place that appears to be a forest is irresponsible. Rocky Raccoon will find his way back to New York pizza, the best in the world!
Healthy Coons will venture out in the daylight and will generally ignore people, rabid racoons may not necessarily do the same. A health coon will be focused, his mission - to find food; a rabid racoon will appear confused, disoriented and ready for a fight. A rabid racoon may have difficulty walking as if it's internal compass is off or like the beer drinking brewer coon.
Garbage - when you put your garbage out in the evening make sure you secure the lid with a cord. These little guys have really sharp claws.
Roofs - Raccoons are master carpenters, they can unhinge the tiles on your roof and find a way into your attics and crawl spaces creating a nice warm cosy den to raise a family. Racoon are master tree climbers. I have seen a motivated Racoon climb a flimsy tree just to get on a roof. Say no to rent free tenants by keeping tree branches away from your home.
Trapped racoons must be uthenized, it's the law and the responsible thing to do. Releasing a racoon in a urban park or some place that appears to be a forest is irresponsible. Rocky Raccoon will find his way back to New York pizza, the best in the world!
24
We've had them for years on S.I., saw one a few days ago around the block. My neighbor traps the ones that end up in his backyard, brings them up to High Rock Park and let's them loose. We also have deer but that's another story.
Is there any chance one of the reasons the trappers release them just over five miles away is to have a steady income?
6
People need to understand that raccoons can be very dangerous, especially if they're seen wandering around during daylight hours, looking like their hung-over. They may well be infected with rabies, a disease which they transmit to people and is invariably fatal unless immunization is given immediately.
6
It's only a matter of time until a rabid raccoon infects an off-leash dog in Prospect Park, a situation that will really test the delusions of the animal rights crowd.
12
A dog vaccinated with the rabies vaccine and getting the boosters on time doesn't get rabies. Responsible pet owners make sure their pet's shots are up to date.
5
I'm wholesale against destroying any living creature. There has to be a better way for accomodating peaceful coexistence in a so called civilized society.. the Buddhists got it right.
26
Not with humanity growing by billions.
3
Unfortunately our ecosystem is so out of natural balance in many areas that we have no other option than to resort to doing some distasteful things. Nature on its own is not very nice by human standards and simply operates by the natural laws of survival of the fittest which can be brutal - we just don't witness most of it. Even plants have methods of destroying each other. We strive to make things more civilized and palatable but there always is a price to pay; we just exchange one thing for another - what benefits one hurts another.
1
Perhaps birth control is the answer!
2
There is a cemetery on Chicago's far northside, surrounded by a tall wrought iron fence, through which neighborhood residents tossed dog food pellets to attract (and marvel at the sight of) hundreds of raccoons on warm summer evenings. The behavior escalated to one woman shopping at the grocery store to leave chips and cookies for these critters on the cemetery grounds. A year later, the emboldened raccoons had branched out into nearby alleys and home properties, creating all sorts of havoc with residents' trash cans and pets. The situation came full circle; the only solution, rather ironic, was for city workers to set up a raccoon trapping and extermination encampment on the cemetery grounds.
16
Raccoons have a special place for me because growing up we had them as pets - house broken/paper trained but they sleep by day and run by night. During the day they would crawl into my bed and sleep till dark. They are quite intelligent and would pester you to play with them and if you didn't they would remove the electric plug from the wall socket.
Coons as we called them don't have salivary glands in their mouths and that is why they have to be near water to eat. Coons were introduced into Germany and they are called wash bears in Germany. Since they don't have salivary glands when they get rabies they don't have the foam/spittle dripping from their mouths. We had a very large yard and when I mowed it in the fall, I would take a 243 varmit rifle as rabid foxes were frequently seen and they also were covered with mange and although we did not fear them, they needed to be put out of their misery.
Having lived in several places around the country and always having a vegetable garden, the most intractable varmits I have encountered were rabbits and ground hogs. The former are easily kept from lettuce by constructing large cages. Ground hogs have a real taste for tomatoes. So out comes the live trap and those ground hogs caught were promptly taken to a clover field. I learned not to leave the trap open at night because the night shift consisted of skunks and liberating them without getting sprayed is a challenge.
Coons as we called them don't have salivary glands in their mouths and that is why they have to be near water to eat. Coons were introduced into Germany and they are called wash bears in Germany. Since they don't have salivary glands when they get rabies they don't have the foam/spittle dripping from their mouths. We had a very large yard and when I mowed it in the fall, I would take a 243 varmit rifle as rabid foxes were frequently seen and they also were covered with mange and although we did not fear them, they needed to be put out of their misery.
Having lived in several places around the country and always having a vegetable garden, the most intractable varmits I have encountered were rabbits and ground hogs. The former are easily kept from lettuce by constructing large cages. Ground hogs have a real taste for tomatoes. So out comes the live trap and those ground hogs caught were promptly taken to a clover field. I learned not to leave the trap open at night because the night shift consisted of skunks and liberating them without getting sprayed is a challenge.
15
Brooklyn-made, locally sourced, artisanal raccoon coats?
33
Why on earth would the trappers want to kill the raccoons? There must be a gold mine in trapping the same animal over and over again.
28
Same situation here in San Francisco, except we also have skunks in our backyards. When they are startled they will spray, and your house smells like a chemical factory for days. No one has the answers for how to deal with wild animals in the city. Coyotes attacking dogs in the city parks and eating pet cats in our backyards, racoons sneaking into open windows, and skunks spraying leashed dogs on late night potty breaks.
13
I live in San Francisco too, and I'll bet the number of dogs and houses being sprayed by skunks could be counted on one hand, if not by a single didgit.
I had a skunk living in the crawl space under my house in SF before I closed up the hole one night when he was out.. Never sprayed luckily.
Do the animal rights groups also stick up for disease-ridden, sometimes vicious, NYC rats? Or are disease-ridden, sometimes vicious, NYC raccoons just cuter?
8
Nothing scares me more than a strange human on my property, day or night. Raccoons, not so much. It is an old wives tale that they don't come out during the day . They are cute, but they do have teeth so approach with caution and only if the raccoon is in danger.Otherwise, live and let live. Make sure your building is raccoon proof, cover trash, use a motion detector water sprinkler if necessary (keeps kids out of the yard as well), use common sense. They are small critters that live here, too. I applaud any trapper who releases. I applaud all humans who dwell in the path of raccoons for allowing creatures to share the earth.
38
Amen.
2
"keeps kids out of the yard" ? Barricading kids in the house is not smart. No surprise kid obesity has become such a huge problem when people forget the original reasons to have yards....
4
There is a question that after living in Europe (Germany) I still ask every week: why is it not possible to make a rule: take out trash cans on the street early in the morning before the garbage truck arrives? Instead of leaving them for scavengers for the night?
And another one: in Manhattan garbage is staying on the streets all night long and garbage cans are never cleaned for the night. If I was a raccon or a rat - what a paradise! I would move in too!
And another one: in Manhattan garbage is staying on the streets all night long and garbage cans are never cleaned for the night. If I was a raccon or a rat - what a paradise! I would move in too!
14
Between feral cats, raccoons and the occasional skunk our neighborhood is invested with growling, hissing, and mewling varmints nightly from early Spring to late Fall. Rats don't even make the top ten nuisance wildlife list. And the City does nothing.
But, rest assured, if a dog or wandering coyote appears the NYPD and ASPCA SWAT teams will be onsite with night-vision goggles, tranquilizers and news media in tow within hours!
But, rest assured, if a dog or wandering coyote appears the NYPD and ASPCA SWAT teams will be onsite with night-vision goggles, tranquilizers and news media in tow within hours!
20
For those who claim we have taken their natural habitat away from them: We haven't. They follow us because we have a great variety of food choices to offer them the forest doesn't. They are cute, but don't judge a book by its cover.
14
"Professor Burke said the issue was too contentious for lawmakers to take on because of animal-rights activists. 'No one wants to tackle it,' he said. 'It’s on the level of feral cats.'”
You go into a story about raccoons, you learn why all our politics is hopelessly dysfunctional. Next question?
You go into a story about raccoons, you learn why all our politics is hopelessly dysfunctional. Next question?
17
People need to start obeying laws. As such, there has to be a centralized system where people could call to get hooked up with a trapper. The trapper then has to report hotter meant raccoons were caught, and turn in, I don't know, an ear or a paw for each one euthanized. Super-heavy fines for breaking the law too. Problem solved.
14
How about TNR for raccoons? Trap, neuter, eartip, vaccinate, return.
Wish we could do this to the overbreeding human residents of
Park Slope and Montclair. The REAL problem in these places
is too many humans giving birth to WAY too many humans.
Do you see anyone here without a baby carriage? and
usually multiples. They scare me a lot more than wild
animals do.
Wish we could do this to the overbreeding human residents of
Park Slope and Montclair. The REAL problem in these places
is too many humans giving birth to WAY too many humans.
Do you see anyone here without a baby carriage? and
usually multiples. They scare me a lot more than wild
animals do.
51
Really? Little babies upset you?
4
I think she means the rapidly increasing human population scares her. 7.5 billion and increasing exponentially. Yikes over tykes indeed.
8
Little babies upset. Big babies upset. Babies fill spaces under roofs. They eat a lot. They screech at parents and bystanders. Why need you ask?
See a raccoon poking around your yard during day light and it's probably a sick animal. One had my full size lab by the nose and wouldn't let go. That ended when my son put an arrow through it from his compound bow.
Great shot! Can't stand this animal. The only good racoon is a dead one.
Great shot! Can't stand this animal. The only good racoon is a dead one.
17
One of the locals turns on the garden faucet when it wants a drink every AM. Now if I could convince it to turn it off. Another reason to never drink out of the garden hose.
11
We have lots of raccoons and skunks in our area of Portland (also some coyotes). We put a chain link fence around the back yard, some cat-proof fencing at the top of the chain link fence, and then an electric wire around the top. The raccoons don't come in. Our fruit, vegetables, and chickens are safe.
6
By excluding the larger predators, you risk becoming rodent heaven!
1
We who live in the immediate vicinity of Prospect Park are NOT happy to live near the Raccoon Rescue Capital of Brooklyn, and the folks in Broad Channel have our sympathy. Here's the harrowing tale of our raccoon removal, which involved sawing out a sheetrock "serving tray" of babies from our kitchen ceiling; after all that, we've still got a Rogue Pooper befouling our garage roof.
http://crazystable.squarespace.com/journal/2011/5/23/wild-wild-life.html
http://crazystable.squarespace.com/journal/2011/5/23/wild-wild-life.html
11
Motion-activated LEDs are a really good deterrent. And the education seems to stick, even after neglected batteries expire.
Gangs of lights at the perimeters of release areas might keep the raccoons out of sidewalk and city. Solar powered of course!
Gangs of lights at the perimeters of release areas might keep the raccoons out of sidewalk and city. Solar powered of course!
4
Are they going to deal with the problem only when a raccoon (or a whole bunch of them) bites a human being and infects him with rabies? I don't think so. Perhaps the press would suppress that so that we don't go all-out vigilante against those cuties.
3
They release because they want to catch them again
Also more Raccoon s born mean money for the trappers
This what business is about
Also more Raccoon s born mean money for the trappers
This what business is about
7
In Iowa, a popular "humane deterrent" to raccoons is the .22 rifle.
15
Here's one for the local food movement types.
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/favorite-raccoon-recipes/
Just kidding :)
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/favorite-raccoon-recipes/
Just kidding :)
4
Once a year , in Danville , Knox County Ohio, there is s racoon roast. Really. BTW, in some parts, raccoon hunting is an activity for humans and their hounds. "A place for everything, and everything in its place."
3
They are both cute and menacing. There was a family living under the deck in my old apartment. One night I was planning to go out, when I opened the door to see three raccoons staring at me like gang members daring me to cross into their territory. I stayed in.
19
They are cute and very entertaining creatures, but when full grown they can be fierce if another creature tries to mess with them. They are especially formidable when and if attacked in water and can and will by themselves drown a large dog. Tough customers those raccoons. An interesting trait about them is that they wash practically everything they eat.
3
Consider how changed life would be in Brooklyn if armadillos, in their thousands, entrained in Texas for Brooklyn tomorrow morning. Armadillos carry and transmit leprosy to humans.
5
"But these are city raccoons that tend to make a U-turn for civilization when dropped off in nature"
Is there any proof of this? I never saw a racoon that was labeled...
Even if they do go back to civilization (which by the way takes more and more natural space every day), they can be taken back to the wild unharmed. It's good jobs that are created when there's so many people climing there's no work.
Is there any proof of this? I never saw a racoon that was labeled...
Even if they do go back to civilization (which by the way takes more and more natural space every day), they can be taken back to the wild unharmed. It's good jobs that are created when there's so many people climing there's no work.
5
The city law should be changed. Raccoons are cute. Better to vaccinate them.
7
Can we just eat them?
3
There is a family of raccoons living in a sidewalk bridge on West 88th Street and West End Avenue. They east Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings when the trash is put out for collection the following morning.
2
This goes back a few years: I used to live on the corner of Hoyt and 1st Street, and one day I looked out my window and saw a raccoon so big it looked almost like a child in a raccoon costume. I've seen a few more since then.
3
I read somewhere that Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world so maybe the Toronto city authorities have some ideas on how to deal with this.
2
You're correct, we're overrun with raccoons here - 200 per square mile, according to the experts. Maybe 100,000 in total. They're everywhere. If you think it's bad now, Brooklyn, just wait. As for our civic leaders, they've had a sum total of zero good ideas for how to deal with these little destruction machines. The present standard response is, they're trapped, moved less that a few blocks away from where they were caught (lest the relocation be considered cruel), and released. It's less of a containment strategy and more of a valet service.
Yep they're everywhere here. I'm amazed at how afraid many people in NYC seem to be of them. To my knowledge they're not aggressive unless they're attacked or cornered. If they're being rude shooing them away with a broom works well. They fuss a little but wouldn't you if you where being shooed? City officials here tried to make a racoon proof green bin (for compostables that are then picked up by the city). The day after these bins started to be distributed someone videotaped a pair of racoons working out how to get into it. They took 8 minutes.
If these cute animals happen to have rabies they can infect you, your children, and your pets.
14
If you read the article, you will see that in 2015, only 4 raccoons were rabid.
4
4 rabid raccoons are 4 too many!
3
Please, let's not refer to destroying a healthy living breathing animal as "euthanizing". I am strongly in favor of putting anyone out of their misery when it is in their best interest -my self included- but prettying up killing with euphemism? Grow up.
14
Rats, Coyotes, Raccoons. All basically varmints that have adapted to urban living. Relocating them is doing no one any favors. Euthanize those that are trapped, and take away their food sources. They are very clever, so it takes more than a bungee cord to keep them out of your trash.
48
I guess they got priced out of Manhattan. Back in '91, I saw a whole racoon family upa tree just inside Central Park in the east 90s.
16
Nah, there are more in Manhattan than there have been in ages. They leave the parks at night to find food-a very simple task.
1
Yes I saw one last week, and now that I know that they could be murdered there is no way i would report it. Keep your garbage lids closed, & not just for this reason.
The place I saw it is a place I have seen them in years past; a path that predates humans.
The place I saw it is a place I have seen them in years past; a path that predates humans.
4
Who do you think made the path in the first place? Dinosaurs?
3
Any animal that is living without natural predators will become a nuisance.
It is a nice thought to try to move these animals to a new location however, while it makes the trapper feel good, it accomplishes nothing but creating a problem in another area. The issue is broader than raccoons, it extends to deer, bears and other animals who are no longer generally hunted but exist alongside human populations.
I have trapped several raccoons over the years and have never had the heart to kill them. Figuring out how to prevent these overpopulations is a job for the city and local municipalities to tackle. Mammals can carry serious communicable diseases (rabies, roundworms and lyme disease for example) while deer and bears are large enough to be dangerous to humans in some situations.
Our political leaders need to attend to quality of life issues with a bit more verve. And those who would shy away from appropriate culling measures should be educated as to the potential dangers of overpopulations.
It is a nice thought to try to move these animals to a new location however, while it makes the trapper feel good, it accomplishes nothing but creating a problem in another area. The issue is broader than raccoons, it extends to deer, bears and other animals who are no longer generally hunted but exist alongside human populations.
I have trapped several raccoons over the years and have never had the heart to kill them. Figuring out how to prevent these overpopulations is a job for the city and local municipalities to tackle. Mammals can carry serious communicable diseases (rabies, roundworms and lyme disease for example) while deer and bears are large enough to be dangerous to humans in some situations.
Our political leaders need to attend to quality of life issues with a bit more verve. And those who would shy away from appropriate culling measures should be educated as to the potential dangers of overpopulations.
36
Culling is a necessary issue for those of us in areas that used to be rural. In January and February the town my other home is in will be conducting another deer culling operation, the second in two years. The deer are on an island and unless we do this they will either starve or be engaged in run ins with automobiles which happens frequently in rutting season.
Here in Charlotte we have four does and a buck who are trapped within our subdivision. We see them from time to time when we walk the doors or at night eating my roses. We get a fawn about every two years.
Here in Charlotte we have four does and a buck who are trapped within our subdivision. We see them from time to time when we walk the doors or at night eating my roses. We get a fawn about every two years.
1
Man has no right to manage wildlife. They are a poor steward over that which they have taken control. Culling is just killing and would be unnecessary if we didn't encroach on habitat of other species. There is a comment on here that suggests the neutering of captured raccoons and releasing them which might not feed the blood lust of killers, but would help solve the problem without blood letting. Do I think that will be considered? NO! Give a man a gun and the right to kill and he will.
1
I would suggest also having our political leaders educated on the dangers of human over-population. We are far more dangerous than any raccoon.
6
Why not neuter and release as is done with feral cats? That would restrain the raccoon population explosion and save the cute creatures.
54
Easy to say when you live in Louisiana!
1
Sure, but they live for a long time, just like feral cats, and during their lifetimes, destroy many representatives of endangered species. There only are so many racoons because of the waste left in open trash cans, the pet food placed outside houses. And, the finl factor, in all comics and animateds, racoons are "sweet" and "funny." People, get your minds around the fact that, in real life, when populations of any species rise beyond the carrying capacity, they become pests. Uh oh, reminds me of another species as well....
1
What planet are you from? The critters are eatable, but leave the paws on them when cleaned so the buyer will know it is not a dog.
There is nothing cute about an animal that is the largest vector of urban rabies. The enforcement of the very sensible euthanization law should be strictly enforced and reiterated to all exterminators and trappers.
69
The article stated that there were just four cases of raccoons with rabies over a number of years. We need to learn to co-exist with other species, not kill them just because they are a nuisance. I am pleased to see that so many homeowners and trappers have taken the moral stance to decide not to kill the animals. There are other, much more humane solutions that are also stated in the article. Where did your heart go?
6
2 cases of rabies in 1 year!
You want to kill possibly thousands of raccoon because there were 2 with rabies? Humans are the largest vector of urban...tons of diseases. What do you recommend doing?
You want to kill possibly thousands of raccoon because there were 2 with rabies? Humans are the largest vector of urban...tons of diseases. What do you recommend doing?
"largest vector of urban rabies" Really? Largest vector. There were
4 CASES on STATEN ISLAND--not Brooklyn. Rabies is treatable, more so than many STDs, some of which I understand no longer respond to the normal antibiotics- thanks to chicken farmers using antibiotics in the feed supply..
We are told that bugs are bad, dangerous ,and we are told that by the people who make and sell pesticides--for profit. Few bugs are dangerous, and if you leave the raccoons alone they will likely leave you alone, unless, of course, you are offering apples or other fruit.
4 CASES on STATEN ISLAND--not Brooklyn. Rabies is treatable, more so than many STDs, some of which I understand no longer respond to the normal antibiotics- thanks to chicken farmers using antibiotics in the feed supply..
We are told that bugs are bad, dangerous ,and we are told that by the people who make and sell pesticides--for profit. Few bugs are dangerous, and if you leave the raccoons alone they will likely leave you alone, unless, of course, you are offering apples or other fruit.
Old news. I keep hoping to see a skunk in NYC (my congressman excluded).
19
IMHO, raccoon is very tasty. Maybe we should get the Locavores and other foodies to address the problem by making the raccoon the next trendy item on the menu.
37
Ugh. Had a raccoon in broad daylight in Suffolk county in my yard. It fought with my dog. There is no animal control here either so the police were called because of the fear of rabies given its diurnal behavior. The policeman didn't want to deal with it either and it waddled away.
18
CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE
7
Cute ... until they murder your laying hens.
For us, they're predators and pests. Like larger, smarter, more-dangerous rats. Maybe a bear crossed with a rat. Yeah, they're bear-rats.
For us, they're predators and pests. Like larger, smarter, more-dangerous rats. Maybe a bear crossed with a rat. Yeah, they're bear-rats.
I live in San Francisco and there are so many raccoons now. Last fall I shone a flash light into my backyard and found 8 pairs of raccoon eyes glowing. They were having a party. I've seen very cute pups playing and also once a raccoon stood on her hind legs and shook her 'fists' at me. Here we are not allowed to do anything with them and there have even been raccoon gang attacks on people walking little dogs.
27
What the netflix "Nature: Raccoon Nation" for their shenanigans.
5
“It is far better to implement humane deterrents" - trash-can bungee cords, pepper-based repellents, plastic garden fencing, and “predator effigies, like fake coyotes.”
This woman clearly does not know her raccoons. They're smarter than she is. I've seen them rip bungee cords off trash cans. When we tried cans with screw-on lids, the 'coons knocked them over and rolled them around on the ground until the lids unscrewed. I've tried pepper - they seemed to develop a taste for it. I've yet to see any kind of fencing work. And that includes electrified; what as waste of money that was! I swear, they got a kick out of it, probably giggling raccoon giggles the whole time.
And no coyote is dumb enough to take on a full-grown raccoon: 1. He'll lose. 2. If he escapes with his life, his wounds will kill him slowly. Raccoons are very strong and agile, lightning fast, and fight like tornadoes; they're not afraid of coyotes. They know coyotes prefer Shih Tzus and kitty-cats.
Raccoons can destroy a garden overnight. On our evening walks, we saw a family of five peeking over a wall at us - just paws, eyes and noses. A raccoon staggered across our deck in broad daylight - and there's no brewery around; this guy was sick. A couple of years ago, a Bed-Stuy woman was attacked by two raccoons in Central Park. Raccoons can kill a large dog, or a human.
There's always the neighborhood idiot who feeds them and coyotes. They're cute, but they're wild, dangerous, messy, and unpredictable.
This woman clearly does not know her raccoons. They're smarter than she is. I've seen them rip bungee cords off trash cans. When we tried cans with screw-on lids, the 'coons knocked them over and rolled them around on the ground until the lids unscrewed. I've tried pepper - they seemed to develop a taste for it. I've yet to see any kind of fencing work. And that includes electrified; what as waste of money that was! I swear, they got a kick out of it, probably giggling raccoon giggles the whole time.
And no coyote is dumb enough to take on a full-grown raccoon: 1. He'll lose. 2. If he escapes with his life, his wounds will kill him slowly. Raccoons are very strong and agile, lightning fast, and fight like tornadoes; they're not afraid of coyotes. They know coyotes prefer Shih Tzus and kitty-cats.
Raccoons can destroy a garden overnight. On our evening walks, we saw a family of five peeking over a wall at us - just paws, eyes and noses. A raccoon staggered across our deck in broad daylight - and there's no brewery around; this guy was sick. A couple of years ago, a Bed-Stuy woman was attacked by two raccoons in Central Park. Raccoons can kill a large dog, or a human.
There's always the neighborhood idiot who feeds them and coyotes. They're cute, but they're wild, dangerous, messy, and unpredictable.
119
Your last paragraph sums it up completely. I once had one (or more, who knows?) break in through a window screen and polish off a good part of a bag of cat food in the kitchen. I didn't hear it because (in an unusual circumstance) my bedroom door was closed. My cats were on the other side of it, trapped as it were in the same space as the raccoon. As I wandered around the messy kitchen in the morning, piecing together what had happened, it was only at the end of my tour that I realised how lucky we had all been. In the same city, a friend's cat had been killed by a raccoon while the cat was peacefully lounging on the front lawn.
15
Anything can kill a human. A squirrel can kill a human. These raccoons have been in NY far longer than anything. We invaded their territory. We destroyed their forests. They are what's left from the forest.
4
When the neighborhood raccoons figured out how to open our garbage can, we began using a bungee cord to keep it closed. This worked until I discovered two large raccoons together hauling our garbage can down the stairs of our deck. Yes, these animals are quite intelligent!
30
Raccoons are wild animals to be handled with care, but their are cuddly.
A law requiring people to euthanize them is a piece of heartlessness of the Brooklyn bureaucracy. I do not know whether raccoons can be domesticated, but they can certainly be contained to some of the natural habitats rfemaining in overpopulated Brooklyn. Living space for raccoons instead of undesirable residents!
A law requiring people to euthanize them is a piece of heartlessness of the Brooklyn bureaucracy. I do not know whether raccoons can be domesticated, but they can certainly be contained to some of the natural habitats rfemaining in overpopulated Brooklyn. Living space for raccoons instead of undesirable residents!
15
They are aggressive, they bite, they carry rabies. Don't kid yourself.
23
Affordable housing for raccoons should be on the agenda at the next Park Slope community meeting.
10
I love these guys but they can get big and aggressive and threaten my cats. I think if the trappers are going to relocate them (which is illegal where I live) they should spay/neuter them too.
43
Years ago, in upstate NY, we befriended a young raccoon. As he grew up he became more aggressive and we would take him 3-5 miles away. He would be back in an hour! Relocating may not work.
9
Keep your cats indoors, B. Mull, and stop putting out food, and the coons will stop coming. The raccoons are not the problem - dumping cats under TNR and cat feeding stations are the problem.
2
Thought it was the case that once caught in a trap, raccoons learn so quickly that they will never be trapped again. We trapped and killed many over the past 4 years.
7
As to the exterminators not killing the raccoons--dumping them in other areas ensures that the raccoon population will grow and thrive, thus providing plenty of work for those who move the raccoons around from place to place. The free-market system at its manipulated best.