More Than a Hundred Raccoons Broke Into a Washington State Woman’s Yard After She Fed Them for 30 Years

More Than a Hundred Raccoons Broke Into a Washington State Woman's Yard After She Fed Them for 30 Years
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A housewife in the state of Washington received more guests than she had anticipated when hundreds of raccoons overtook her lawn.

A woman from Poulsbo, Washington, called the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office last week to report the critter invasion, according to the department.

According to officials, she informed them that although she had been feeding the raccoons in her neighborhood for the previous 38 years, she only fed about a dozen of them up until six weeks ago.

“About six weeks ago, there were over 100 raccoons arriving up, for whatever reason. According to the woman, they must have been inviting pals, according to Kitsap County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Kevin McCarty.

According to Kitsap County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Kevin McCarty, “For some reason, 6 weeks ago the number of raccoons that were showing up increased to over 100. The woman said they must have started inviting friends.”

“Anytime she comes out of her house, they swarm her until she throws them food. The normal raccoons that she feeds are nice, but the new ones showing up scare her,” McCarty said.

McCarty pleaded with people not to feed wildlife, regardless of how adorable or begging they may be.

“Raccoons are wild animals and feeding them can be unhealthy for them. Wildlife experts say having a large number of raccoons gathered together can also spread disease among the animals,” McCarty stated.

He continued by saying that while raccoons can be hostile, it’s best to leave them room and let them to locate food and shelter in the wild on their own. To assist in resolving her issue, the woman was sent to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

According to the department, the resident claimed to be working with a trapper until the WILDCOMM team sent her to local wildlife control operators. They did not, however, send out their enforcement officers or wildlife conflict specialists.

Echoing McCarty, the department stated that, while they do not have any updates on the matter, their wildlife conflict specialist for Kitsap County is making efforts to get in touch with the resident in case he can provide any professional advice.

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“We discourage people from feeding wildlife, as this causes them to lose their natural fear of people, which can lead to aggression. It also draws animals together, possibly mixing healthy and sick animals and spreading diseases among them,” Bridget Mire, Coastal Region Communications Specialist stated.

Mire warned that some wildlife, including raccoons, can carry diseases that may be transmissible to people and pets and stated that feeding wildlife also may attract predators, such as coyotes and bears.

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.