Sheriff’s deputies in Washington’s Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals — 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 sheriff’s 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.

    • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      1 month ago

      Was a component of my job in counties neighboring Kitsap Co.

      The answer is likely: Maybe. A lot of the times people do stuff like this without critical thinking and stop pretty much once notified or after some shit like this happens.

      But a few certainly, explicitly, do not and will continue with a vengeance until effectively run out of the area. Like out of one county, like Kitsap, into another county so it became my jurisdiction to handle the belligerent wildlife feeder. shakes fist into the ether (no personal experience at all nosirsee)

      Public Health and/or Water Quality programs usually wild up with the bag in those situations.