When friendly raccoons turn fierce: Woman's home under siege
A resident of Washington State had been feeding wild raccoons for years. However, at some point, they became exceptionally intrusive and aggressive. A video emerged online showing the animals surrounding her house.
10:12 AM EDT, October 9, 2024
The woman, who regularly fed the raccoons, one day noticed that her house was surrounded by nearly 100 of them. The animals came in search of food, and because they were hungry, they behaved aggressively.
Raccoons occupied the property, making the woman afraid to leave the house
The woman felt threatened because the animals gathering on the property prevented her from leaving the house. Ultimately, she decided to call for help.
In the video shared by the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, you can hear an officer talking with the woman, who claims that raccoons began gathering in her wooded yard about six weeks earlier.
In a conversation with the sheriff, she admitted that she had been feeding raccoons on her property for 38 years. On the day she called for help, she told law enforcement that she had never seen the animals arrive at her house in such a large group. She said that normally raccoons are gentle, but these scare her. Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, explained this to the media.
The animals didn't leave the woman alone
The raccoons were said to scratch at the windows and walls of the house, demanding food. The woman said they waited outside her house until they were fed. Unfortunately, more raccoons arrived recently, and they stopped being friendly.
To make matters worse, the animals blocked her exit. She could only drive away in her car when the officers arrived at the scene.
The victim was educated about feeding wild animals
Immediately upon receiving the report, Kitsap County dispatchers alerted the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which directed the woman to its "wildlife control operator" program.
Bridget Mire, a department spokesperson, warned against feeding wild animals. This can result in them gathering around an unnatural food source and lead to the spread of diseases. Besides, small animals can attract larger predators, which seriously threaten humans.
