A lookout of nearly 100 raccoons invaded a woman’s home in Washington hoping to find their next meal.
The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was forced to call authorities after realizing she could not leave her own home due to the abundance of raccoons on her property in Kitsap County, near Poulsbo.
What started as a kind-hearted gesture to help ensure the raccoons were being fed ended up becoming a pest problem.
For more than 35 years, the well-meaning woman left food for the raccoons without any problems. But six weeks ago that changed.
“Somehow word got out among the raccoons and they all showed up at his house expecting food,” said Kitsap County sheriff’s spokesman Kevin McCarthy. King 5.
Fixing the infestation could create an even bigger problem, since help removing raccoons requires $500 per animal.
Nearly 100 raccoons invaded a woman’s home in Washington last week in hopes of getting their next meal.
A woman in Kitsap County, near Poulsbo, called authorities after realizing she couldn’t leave her house due to the abundance of raccoons on her property, lingering and begging for food in broad daylight.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office shared video of the home invasion that showed dozens of litter pandas surrounding their heavily forested property.
He explained to officers that he had never seen the animals arrive in such a large group and noticed that some of the new arrivals were becoming aggressive.
Their home had been a major source of food income as early as the 1980s. They regularly visited their backyard, but would leave once they were fed. USA today reported.
The raccoons visited his house at all hours of the day and night, even scratching the windows and walls of the house to get his attention.
But he only called for backup last week after the mammals surrounded his car, making getting out an impossible task.
When officers arrived at their home to respond to the situation, they never would have expected what they found.
“They were surprised,” McCarthy added. ‘They have never seen so many raccoons in one place. No one remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. “This was the first time.”
The raccoons seemed to be on their best behavior once authorities arrived on the scene. They were not aggressive and there have been no reports of injuries.
The anonymous woman started leaving food for the nocturnal bandits more than 35 years ago without any problems, but the raccoon population skyrocketed just six weeks ago.
But the Kitsap County sheriff referred the woman to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to address her issue.
The department then referred her to its ‘wildlife control operators’ program that connects residents with private trappers certified to deal with small animals, USA Today reported.
But after he contacted the trapping organization to help with the raccoon epidemic, they wanted a whopping $500 for the removal of a unique mammal, which would ultimately cost him thousands of dollars.
Neighbors have also noticed the influx of bandits and noted that they have been accumulating for approximately a month.
“I’ve had several raccoons in my yard recently,” Wendy Cronk, a neighbor, told King 5.
‘My dogs have gotten into fights with a raccoon several times. I even had to take one of my dogs to the vet after fighting with a raccoon. And I’ve noticed that a lot more raccoons have been attacked here on the main road.
Under state law, animals trapped by the WCO department must be released on site or euthanized and disposed of properly, USA Today reported.
“I just hope someone steps in and helps her fix this problem…and I hope she stops,” Cronk added.
Raccoons are a common sight. They are often attracted to urban areas by the food provided by the hand of man in the area, WDFW reported.
The raccoons visited his house at all hours of the day and night, even scratching the windows and walls of the house to get his attention.
The most effective way to prevent raccoon problems is to simply not attract them to the house; The most important recommendation is to deny food to mammals and avoid feeding them.
“It’s pretty simple,” McCarthy added. ‘Do not feed wild animals. When wild animals have a reliable food source, they will continue to return to it. And that’s what these raccoons did until the number of raccoons waiting for food got out of control.’
Bridget Mire, a spokesperson for the department, also warned against feeding wild animals, noting that when animals gather around an unnatural food source, such as human food, diseases can spread, USA Today added.
Feeding wildlife can also cause animals to lose their own sense of wariness around humans, even attracting predators that may interact with people.
Prohibiting raccoons from easy access to trash or the ability to enter the home through pet doors are other ways to prevent raccoon infestation, WDFW added.
She only called for backup last week after the mammals surrounded her car in her densely wooded backyard, making getting out an impossible task.
Fencing orchards and other vegetable gardens, as well as thoroughly cleaning outdoor barbecue areas, also helps keep nocturnal bandits away.
But as long as raccoons are kept out of human homes, not cornered, and not treated like a family pet, they typically do not pose a dangerous threat.
As of Tuesday, it was unknown what happened to the raccoons, but animal control is working to find a solution.
“At this time, it has been determined that the raccoons have not committed any crime,” McCarthy added.