If anyone is expecting an apology from me because our raccoon conversation has become a sort of miniseries, allow me to assert, respectfully, that I won’t be offering one. I’ve learned a solid amount of information about these creatures from writing these posts, and I’m hoping you can say the same for yourself if you have been following along for the past four days.
I figure that because raccoons are such common animals, what’s the harm in educating ourselves about them?
Again, this information comes from treehugger.com.
“9. They Like Urban Settings
“Raccoons have enjoyed an ‘astonishing’ surge in urban and suburban areas over the past 80 years, according to zoologist Sam Zeveloff.9 Because they’re so intelligent, the urban-dwelling ones are developing skills that their rural counterparts don’t have; they’re figuring out how to navigate human-made obstacles. They adapt to a vast range of sleeping spots, use their agile fingers to open garbage cans and enter garages and other buildings, and climb fire escapes. Toronto, which has been overrun by raccoons, has earned the unfortunate title of ‘raccoon capital of the world,’ and the city’s mayor has even declared a war on raccoons in which ‘defeat is not an option.’
“10. They Have a Lot of Babies
“Raccoons are more likely to reproduce than many other wild animals. They breed only once per year, but a female will give birth to three or four babies on average. Often she waits till the last minute to find a den to give birth, which is why urban structures are so appealing; they have many immediately-accessible hiding spots. The mother raccoon is fiercely maternal and will cause immense damage if separated from her offspring. Babies stay with their mother throughout their first winter before venturing off on their own.
“11. They Carry Diseases and Parasites
“After bats, raccoons are the second most frequently reported rabid wildlife species, according to the CDC.10 They can carry it without any outward signs or symptoms. Human rabies cases are rare in the United States, however. Between 2009 and 2019, only 25 cases of human rabies were reported in the U.S., and just two of those cases were associated with raccoons.11
“Raccoons can also carry raccoon roundworm, a serious disease that can cause neurological damage.12 It spreads through the ingestion of soil or other materials contaminated with an infected raccoon’s feces. In addition, raccoons may carry leptospirosis and distemper. To keep your family and pets safe, wash your hands after spending time outdoors, teach young children not to put soil in their mouths, and keep your pets vaccinated,” the web page states.
Thank you for sticking around, and here’s hoping you’ve found a new appreciation for these animals.
Photo by Chalo Garcia on Unsplash
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