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Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons

91ƵThis is a nuisance problem kind of of her own making that she has to deal with91Ƶ
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Some of the raccoons that surrounded the woman91Ƶs North Kitsap home. KCSO courtesy photos

Sheriff91Ƶs deputies in Washington91Ƶs Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals 91Ƶ loose livestock, problem dogs.

But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.

The woman reported having had to flee her property after 50 to 100 raccoons descended upon it and were acting aggressively, said Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the sheriff91Ƶs office. She told deputies she started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago and it was fine until about six weeks earlier, when the number showing up went from a handful to around 100.

91ƵShe said those raccoons were becoming increasingly more aggressive, demanding food, that they would hound her day and night 91Ƶ scratching at the outside of her home, at the door. 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,91Ƶ McCarty said. 91ƵThey saw this as a food source now, so they kept coming back to it and they kept expecting food.91Ƶ

It was not clear what caused their numbers to balloon suddenly. Both the sheriff91Ƶs office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife determined no laws were broken, McCarty said.

91ƵThis is a nuisance problem kind of of her own making that she has to deal with,91Ƶ he said. Video from the sheriff91Ƶs office shows raccoons milling around trees, and deputies who responded to the call observed 50 to 100 of them, he added.

Bridget Mire, a spokesperson with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said by email that under state law it is illegal to feed large carnivores, such as bears or cougars. While municipalities or counties may have local statutes forbidding the feeding of other wildlife, it is currently not against state law to do so, she said.

Regardless, the agency discourages people from feeding wildlife. Raccoons, for example, can carry diseases, and food can also attract predators such as coyotes and bears, according to Mire.

The department referred the woman to wildlife control operators who are certified and able to capture and remove animals like raccoons, she said.

Poulsbo is about a 90-minute car and ferry ride northwest of Seattle.





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