Racoon Problem in the Lower Mainland
byMy sister’s beau would not believe her when she told him that raccoons can be rather ornery creatures.
I confirmed this with a few stories as did John who is always amazed at how tourists in the park stop to take pictures of the nocturnal mammals. They can be dangerous, can hiss at you, not be intimidated and carry rabies. There was an outbreak of rabies in skunks and raccoons in Stanley Park not too long ago in fact [Stanley Park Ecology, 2004]. Recently the animals have become quite the nuisance in the suburbs as well.
A pest control expert says the Lower Mainland appears to be experiencing an upswing in the number of raccoons being born…
…One cat owner living in the in Tsawwassen’s north end suspects raccoon’s are responsible for the loss of two neighbourhood cats. Only yesterday, a Tsawwassenite living on 53A Street came home to find five raccoons in his kitchen, threatening his cat. Police had to shoot one of the raccoons after the homeowner injured it with a golf club. [News 1130] [Story also on Canada.com]
We kind of knew the population was on the rise when John spotted a raccoon mommy and daddy engaging in ‘private’ activities in a tree outside our apartment. When I arrived home from work they were still at it… 5 hours later.
We usually giggle at tourists taking photos of these creatures mostly because they seem so ‘everyday’ to us. But it’s a little more than that, you never know with these animals, especially the ones you find in the back alleys downtown, those urbanized raccoons are the worst, eh.
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“… It’s not until you get back out to nature until you realize that everything is out to get you. And my father always taught me to respect nature, because it has no respect for you.”
– Quagmire
I HATE raccoons.
I remember my place in Coquitlam, I was workong on the computer when I heard an odd noise, what sounded like a cat being mauled viscously, only to find out it was a pair of raccoons ‘engaging in private activities’. But boy was the female nasty, she would bite the male and making a bloody curdling sound! anyway I left them to their thing but it went on for hours, and I wasn’t about to go outside and sho them away because raccoons aren’t the nicest animals at times 😉
Btw I loved the cartoon Raccoons, we used to watch it as a family.
hi i enjoyed the read
Racoons are most intimidating and aggressive creatures, if they decide you are bothering them. Whatever provokes them to chase humans . . . My children once ran out of their very shoes to escape the fury of one racoon, their uncle in the lead – yelling at them to run for their lives . . . Tom did once swim out over his head to save an eldelry man who had fallen into the water.
I did ask Tom if he would mind going back to get the kids shoes. His eyes wider than a sailor whose captian told his crew to “get their life gear,” replied: I’m not going back there.
Coyote: one pranced about me as I walked to the store one night. He must have been coyote, though a darker one with half-moon markings over his eyes. He wasn’t bad. Just curious, and he pranced about. Much better company than a racoon, or the neighbors, that is for sure.