Almost 100 raccoons descend upon Washington woman’s home

Oct 10

Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Shea Taylor (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor), Jonah Applegarth (Graphics Operator)

This might not quite qualify as an emergency, but sheriff’s deputies responding to a call in Washington state confronted dozens of trespassers who have been making out like bandits at one woman’s home. A woman in Kitsap County called 911 for help after she had to flee her own property, but the culprits were not normal perps. Up to a hundred raccoons were waiting on her lawn and begging for food.

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The woman had been feeding the wild raccoons around her home for nearly 40 years, but she told deputies that within the last few weeks, the population had exploded and became more demanding and aggressive.

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Deputies said the woman told them the raccoons would hound her day and night, scratching at her home’s door. If she was in her car, they’d surround her when she pulled up and follow her until she got inside.

It’s not clear what caused the population to grow so suddenly, but the woman says until about six weeks ago, it was just one small family of raccoons she had been feeding. Since this happened, the woman has stopped feeding the animals and Washington state wildlife officials said they started to go away.

Officials said this is a prime example of why people are not supposed to feed wildlife – no matter how cute they are.

Tags: animal welfare, food, Washington, Wildlife

Jack Aylmer

I’M NOT QUITE SURE THIS QUALIFIES AS AN EMERGENCY… BUT SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES RESPONDING TO A 9-1-1 CALL IN WASHINGTON CONFRONTED DOZENS OF TRESPASSERS WHO HAVE BEEN MAKING OUT LIKE BANDITS AT ONE WOMAN’S HOME.

A KITSAP COUNTY WOMAN CALLED 9-1-1 LAST WEEK FOR HELP AFTER SHE HAD TO FLEE HER OWN PROPERTY – AS UP TO A HUNDRED RACCOONS TURNED UP BEGGING FOR FOOD.

THE WOMAN *HAD* BEEN FEEDING THE WILD RACCOONS AROUND HER HOME FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS… BUT SHE TOLD DEPUTIES WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE POPULATION EXPLODED – AND THEY’VE BECOME MORE DEMANDING AND AGGRESSIVE.

DEPUTIES SAY THE WOMAN TOLD THEM THE RACCOONS WOULD HOUND HER DAY AND NIGHT – SCRATCHING AT HER DOOR… OR IF SHE WAS IN HER CAR – THEY’D SURROUND HER WHEN SHE PULLED UP AND FOLLOW HER UNTIL SHE GOT INSIDE.

IT’S NOT CLEAR WHAT CAUSED THE POPULATION TO GROW SO SUDDENLY… BUT THE WOMAN SAYS UNTIL ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, IT WAS JUST ONE SMALL FAMILY OF RACCOONS SHE HAD BEEN FEEDING.

SINCE THIS HAPPENED – THE WOMAN HAS STOPPED FEEDING THE ANIMALS… AND WASHINGTON STATE WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SAY THEY’VE STARTED TO GO AWAY.

THEY SAY THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FEED WILDLIFE – NO MATTER HOW CUTE THEY ARE.