Woman left terrified as 100 ‘aggressive’ raccoons swarm her front yard
A US woman has been left terrified after nearly 100 “aggressive” raccoons swarmed her front yard, forcing her to call the police.
The unnamed resident of Poulsbo in Washington State found herself unable to enter her home due to the raccoon invasion, which kicked off about six weeks ago.
Despite having fed the animals for over 35 years, the situation suddenly escalated, with the raccoons becoming increasingly demanding and hostile.
Kevin McCarty, a spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff, told local NBC affiliate news outlet KUSA: “Somehow the word got out in raccoon land and they all showed up to her house expecting a meal.”
When deputy officers arrived at the scene, they were “shocked” to find between 50 and 100 raccoons at the property.
McCarty added: “They had never seen that many raccoons in one place. Nobody ever remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. This was a first.”
The woman reported that the raccoons had become increasingly aggressive, demanding food day and night. They would scratch at her home’s exterior, doors, and even her car.
“If she pulled up her car, they would surround the car, scratch at the car, surround her if she went from her front door to her car or went outside at all,” McCarty explained.
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The situation became so dire that the woman was forced to flee her property, unable to safely enter or exit her home due to the swarm of raccoons.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s office shared a video of the raccoon onslaught on social media, captioned “On Patrol: Raccoon Invasion”. The footage shows the animals milling around trees on the property as a bemused police officer looks on.
Bridget Mire, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that while it’s not illegal to feed raccoons under state law, the practice is strongly discouraged.
“The raccoons appear to have started dispersing now that they are no longer being fed, and we are glad for a positive outcome to this case,” Mire said.
McCarty emphasised, “It’s pretty simple. Don’t feed wild animals. When wild animals have a reliable food source, they’re going to keep coming back to it.”
Raccoons can carry diseases, and feeding them may attract other predators such as coyotes and bears, Mire added.
She had initially contacted an organisation about trapping and relocating the animals, but the cost was prohibitive – coming in at $500 (£383) per raccoon.