smiles 0 #1 June 18, 2004 People will hold out their ice cream cones trying to get the raccoon closer so they can get a photo -- and they'll be holding onto their kid at the same time.............. About 15 people have been bitten by raccoons in Stanley Park (Van. B.C. Canada) in the past five days and health officials are increasingly frustrated that people continue to feed wild animals despite rabies alerts. There is heightened concern about animal bites this year because three young skunks tested positive for rabies after being found dead in the park recently. The three young infected skunks were likely all from the same family and were likely all infected by the same bat. Health officials do not know if any of the raccoons that have bitten people are carrying the virus, because it cannot be detected until an animal is dead. The majority of the people who have been bitten this week were tourists trying to feed the raccoons or provoke them. Each person who is bitten has to undergo a month-long series of rabies shots, the first of which is injected directly into the bite wound. The rabies inoculation is not pleasant but the prospect of getting rabies is much scarier. Once you start showing symptoms, that's it -- there is nothing that can be done for you. It's a horrifying disease. Most of the bites have happened at the park, where there is a family of raccoons that has become very accustomed to humans. They're not afraid of people. In an effort to get close to the raccoons, tourists have been luring them in with food, then pulling the food away as the raccoon gets closer. In some cases, that's when the raccoon will leap up and bite the person with the food. One of the primary mistakes made by people is that they're not willing to let their food go once the raccoon approaches. Some of the park's staff will be walking the woods using a Super-Soaker water gun filled with water and vinegar to try to deter the raccoons from approaching humans. ___________________________ SMiles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #2 June 18, 2004 But they all seem so lovable and cute and fuzzy.. come here litle racoon... come he AHHHH MY EYES MY EYES!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE CLAWING MY EYES OUT!!!!! AHHHH THE PAINRemster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Girlfalldown 0 #3 June 18, 2004 Yeah racoons are right up there with penguins. Little bastards! I say club them too. -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #4 June 18, 2004 What can I do about turtles? The suckers are everywhere. I've got one in my back yard. One in the side yard. Three out front and last night, I found another in the front while mowing. Is there a way to discourage them? Make them move? You can't scare them off, they just run and hide. Their holes are bigger around than my calf. One in the front has an opening the width of a plate. I feel like I'm on the set of Turtle-Highlander. "The time of The Gathering is upon us..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slappie 9 #5 June 18, 2004 QuoteYeah racoons are right up there with penguins. Little bastards! I say club them too. Were you that terribly scarred by watching a cute innocent little pussy cat? I mean you're all over killing little furry animal lately. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #6 June 18, 2004 Nasty freakin' animals... They can get as large as small bears, and really can be viscious...tear up dogs and cats like nothing you've seen...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #7 June 18, 2004 QuoteNasty freakin' animals... They can get as large as small bears, and really can be viscious...tear up dogs and cats like nothing you've seen... We've had 3 problem raccoons. One we caught. We hosed it down for a while and kept annoying it, then we took it over to a really nice development. Now it is getting into the class-A garbage. One is big as a small dog (40lbs) and has a stub-tail. The 3rd keeps knocking over my garbage cans after we grill fish. Using bungee cords helps, but not always. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Girlfalldown 0 #8 June 18, 2004 Quote Were you that terribly scarred by watching a cute innocent little pussy cat? I mean you're all over killing little furry animal lately. I'm still watching the little psycho. This morning we put the clothes hamper on him and made him run around the room pushing it... it was really funny. -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #9 June 18, 2004 QuoteI mean you're all over killing little furry animal lately. Penguins ain't exactly furry. It's all about the "Penguin Lust"---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjhdiver 0 #10 June 18, 2004 QuotePeople will hold out their ice cream cones trying to get the raccoon closer so they can get a photo -- and they'll be holding onto their kid at the same time.............. I hate those little bastards. I have had to buy a trap to catch them and stop them coming into the house through the cat door and wrecking my kitchen. They are filthy and vicous things. I have got rid of about 50 of them so far. I haven't had one for about 9 months or so, but I got one in the house the night before last. I put the trap out last night, as was just fast enough to chase off a skunk that was about to go into it this morninig. Those things don't come into the house, but getting the little shits out of the trap is a whole other game all in itself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiles 0 #11 June 18, 2004 I think the water gun with vinegar & water mixed is Coons are so adorable- I understood they are real vicious if cornered--if you feed them--they'll be back for sure along with their family. I can understand feeding monkeys when they are behind a cage but tourists in the park like to feed the squirrels, ducks, ---when it comes to raccoons- they ain't going to take being lured with food and getting ripped off SMiles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #12 June 18, 2004 QuoteThey are filthy and vicous things. Buy some childrens clothing at Goodwill. Dress them up and release them. They are a lot less initimidating in a print dress. It will help you overcome your fears of them. Plus, it humiliates them in front of the raccoon friends later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #13 June 18, 2004 QuoteWhat can I do about turtles? The suckers are everywhere. I've got one in my back yard. One in the side yard. Three out front and last night, I found another in the front while mowing. Surely if you found it using the lawn mower then the problem kind of solved itself...*************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #14 June 18, 2004 I didn't actually find the turtle. The mower wheel fell into a hole next to a tree. The holes are the size of saucers, so the wheel dropped in with no problem. I really don't want to harm them, I just want to relocate them. My roommate wants to use a self-triggered catapult to put them over our neighbors privacy fence. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #15 June 18, 2004 QuoteBuy some childrens clothing at Goodwill. Dress them up and release them. They are a lot less initimidating in a print dress. It will help you overcome your fears of them. Plus, it humiliates them in front of the raccoon friends later. BWAHAHAHAHA!! Seriously, though, it always amazes me how stupid people are w/ wild animals. Feeding raccoons, bears etc. Just goes to show what a century or two of modern urban life does to dull the effects of natural selection. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlmiracle 7 #16 June 18, 2004 We have a raccoon or 2 that invades our bird feeders at night. When I see it, I ususally shoot bottle rockets at it to make it go away. It usually only goes away for a short time, but I just try to keep annoying it so it will go somewhere else. I'm hoping the neighbors 3 dobermans will get it like they got the opossum. JudyBe kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #17 June 18, 2004 QuoteIn an effort to get close to the raccoons, tourists have been luring them in with food, then pulling the food away as the raccoon gets closer. In some cases, that's when the raccoon will leap up and bite the person with the food. the humans deserve it if they're that stupid. I think I read somewhere that most rattlesnake bites happen because some asshat tries to PICK UP the rattlesnake & fuck with it. something needs to be done about the rising tide of stupid people with no natural selection to weed them out. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites