Feeding wild raccoons around her home had seemed harmless enough, if odd, for one woman in the north-west for 35 years – until about 100 of them surrounded her home and demanded food.
The woman, who has not been named, was essentially trapped in her home near Poulsbo, Washington, and scared as the animals can be aggressive. She called the sheriff’s office, saying the raccoons were around her place day and night after their population “exploded” about six weeks ago.
“Somehow, the word got out in raccoon land and they all showed up to her house expecting a meal,” Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the Kitsap county sheriff, told local NBC station 9News.
He sent deputies to help the woman.
“They were shocked. They had never seen that many raccoons in one place. Nobody ever remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. This was a first,” he told the TV station.
The sheriff’s office even posted about it on social media with some extraordinary footage, showing the raccoons as if they had decided to hold a convention in a back yard.
On Patrol: Raccoon Invasion pic.twitter.com/5pAUE761Nk
— Kitsap Sheriff (@KitsapCoSheriff) October 7, 2024
Neighbors have not exactly been thrilled about the animals, who can be threatening and are often nicknamed trash bandits, for their dark fur color across the eyes making them look like masked thieves, or trash pandas, for their proclivity to dive into trash cans looking for scraps.
“I’d say it’s been about the last month or so I’ve noticed it,” Wendy Cronk, who lives nearby, told 9News. “I’ve had several raccoons in the yard recently. My dogs have gotten in a scuffle several times with a raccoon. I’ve even had to take one of my dogs to the vet after tussling with a raccoon. And I’ve also noticed there’s been a lot more hit raccoons up on the main road here.”
Cronk said she hopes it gets resolved soon.
“I just hope that somebody steps in and helps her take care of this problem ... and hopefully she’ll quit doing it,” said Cronk.
