The concept of round 100 black and white animals flocking to your home would possibly conjure photographs of lovable dalmatians and Cruella De Vil. Not so for one Washington state lady, who referred to as 911 after her residence was swarmed by scores of hungry raccoons.
The unidentified lady from town of Poulsbo, throughout the Puget Sound from Seattle, mentioned she began feeding native raccoons 35 years in the past with no downside, police instructed NBC affiliate KUSA on Monday.
“Somehow the phrase acquired out in raccoon land and so they all confirmed as much as her home anticipating a meal,” mentioned Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the Kitsap County Sheriff.
Six weeks in the past the issue “exploded,” McCarty mentioned, including that the girl referred to as deputies final Thursday after round 100 of the pesky varmints had been stopping her from getting into her own residence.
Officers “had been shocked,” he mentioned. “They had by no means seen that many raccoons in a single place. Nobody ever remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. This was a primary.”
No wild raccoons in Washington have not too long ago been recognized with rabies — a illness that kills nearly each human it infects, in line with the Washington State Department of Health. However the state does have rabid bats that may transmit the illness to different mammals, and raccoons typically carry different infections reminiscent of raccoon roundworm.
These notoriously curious critters appear to have a behavior of getting themselves into comedic scrapes that make the information. In May, one invaded the sector at a Major League Soccer recreation between that Philadelphia Union and New York City FC.
While that event induced a lot mirth, neighbors in Washington weren’t happy with the mass of masked marauders.
“My canine have gotten in a scuffle a number of instances with a raccoon” and “I’ve even needed to take one in every of my canine to the vet,” Wendy Cronk, who lives close by, instructed KUSA. “I simply hope that someone steps in and helps her deal with this downside. And hopefully she’ll give up doing it.”
No one was bitten throughout the call-out, police mentioned, including that they referred the girl to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She instructed them {that a} trapping firm had quoted her $500 per raccoon — $50,000 complete — to take care of the issue.
“At this level, it’s been decided that the raccoons haven’t dedicated any crimes,” McCarty instructed the affiliate, earlier than including a extra severe ethical coda.
“It’s fairly easy,” he mentioned. “Don’t feed wild animals. When wild animals have a dependable meals supply, they’re going to maintain coming again to it. And that’s what these raccoons did till the variety of raccoons anticipating a meal acquired out of hand.”