A pack of nearly 100 raccoons swarmed a woman’s Washington home in hopes of finding their next meal. The woman, who has not been identified, was forced to call authorities after realizing that she was unable to leave her house because of the animals. What began as a kindhearted gesture to help make sure the raccoons were being fed quickly deteriorated into a pest control problem. For more than 35 years, the well-meaning woman left food out for the raccoons, but 6 weeks ago that all changed when an abundance of them showed up on her property. Resolving the infestation is expensive, as animal control wants $500 per animal to remove the raccoons. Kitsap County Sheriff's Office deputies say the raccoons seemed to be on their best behavior when they arrived on-scene. There weren’t aggressive and there have been no reports of injuries. Law enforcement referred the woman to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to further address her problem. Fish and Wildlife staff say the most effective way to prevent raccoon issues is to simply not attract them by offering them food. “When wild animals have a reliable food source, they’re going to keep coming back to it,” said Bridget Mire, a department spokesperson. Animal control is now working to come up with a solution.
Woman’s Home Is Invaded By a Swarm of Raccoons After She Fed the Animals For Years
A pack of nearly 100 raccoons swarmed a woman’s Washington home in hopes of finding their next meal. The woman, who has not been identified, was forced to call authorities after realizing that she was unable to leave her house because of the animals. What began as a kindhearted gesture to help make sure the raccoons were being fed quickly deteriorated into a pest control problem. For more than 35 years, the well-meaning woman left food out for the raccoons, but 6 weeks ago that all changed when an abundance of them showed up on her property. Resolving the infestation is expensive, as animal control wants $500 per animal to remove the raccoons. Kitsap County Sheriff's Office deputies say the raccoons seemed to be on their best behavior when they arrived on-scene. There weren’t aggressive and there have been no reports of injuries. Law enforcement referred the woman to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to further address her problem. Fish and Wildlife staff say the most effective way to prevent raccoon issues is to simply not attract them by offering them food. “When wild animals have a reliable food source, they’re going to keep coming back to it,” said Bridget Mire, a department spokesperson. Animal control is now working to come up with a solution.