Raccoons Invade Chicago

Doomsday101

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He looked like an orangutan swinging-swinging around. It was scary, very scary,” said Chicago resident Wilma Ward about her recent run-in with a raccoon. Ward, who lives in Chicago several miles away from the nearest forest, found herself face to snout with a raccoon she described as being almost her height. She was forced to barricade herself in an upstairs bathroom until morning, and when she emerged she discovered the raccoon had bent steel window-bars to get into her kitchen. Others in the neighborhood have described these raccoons as being the size of German Shepherds.

While Wilma’s story is extreme, it is becoming more common, as the ring-tailed rascals are increasingly taking up residence in the concrete jungle. It isn’t hard for them to find a place to stay, either, since over 75,000 homes have been foreclosed on in the last year. Most people don’t properly board up their homes when the bank kicks them to the curb, which gives raccoons easy access to a habitat fit for a human.

Raccoon infestations aren’t a bother to former homeowners, but rather to the people still living in the neighborhood. No raccoon in Illinois has ever tested positive for rabies, according to Dr. Donna Alexander of the Cook County Animal Rabies Control, but that’s not the only concern. She fears that many urbanites, who have never seen a wild animal except for maybe a squirrel or rat, might mistake the raccoons for a furry play-thing. “The most important thing is that it is not a pet, it is a wild animal,” she explains.

Local government officials are trying to prevent further problems by educating the urban communities about the proper way to deal with raccoons. They explain that raccoons are just looking for something to eat and a place to stay, so if trash cans are properly sealed and foreclosed homes are effectively boarded up, they will search for shelter somewhere else.

Something else communities are beginning to notice is property damage. Most of it goes unnoticed for months or even years, as these homes go uninhabited for extended periods of time, but James McClelland of Mack Industries, who purchases foreclosed homes and fixes them up for future sale, says the cost can be sky high…or at least ceiling high. It is common, he explains, for raccoons to fall through roofs and ceilings, which are expensive to repair. Often, when they fall into a home from above, it is impossible for them to get out, so they try as hard as they can to scratch and bite their way out-attempts which are often in vain, and often leave serious damage. McClelland says the damage done by raccoons can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.


http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/...zed’-raccoons-invade-chicago/?test=latestnews
 

Doomsday101

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Jon88;3382121 said:
Those things are dangerous and tough as nails.

If you hack them off they can be. :laugh2:

There is a golf course here in Houston where they are accustom to people and will come right up to you
Granted never seen one as big as a German Shepard as they described in Chicago
 

Jon88

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Doomsday101;3382128 said:
If you hack them off they can be. :laugh2:

There is a golf course here in Houston where they are accustom to people and will come right up to you
Granted never seen one as big as a German Shepard as they described in Chicago

I'm not sure I believe that. I sense a little exaggeration.
 

Doomsday101

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Jon88;3382131 said:
I'm not sure I believe that. I sense a little exaggeration.

I have a feeling your right. The sight does have a video and while the Raccoon they have caged is pretty big he is not as big as a German Shepard.
 

Hoofbite

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"When Rac-oons try to get in our back porch, momma just chase 'em off with a broom".
 

Doomsday101

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Hoofbite;3382164 said:
"When Rac-oons try to get in our back porch, momma just chase 'em off with a broom".

Had a feeling that was coming. :laugh2:
 

burmafrd

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Biggest I have ever heard of was about 30 lbs. Very small German shepard.
 

CliffnDallas

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Coons invade Chicago?

10.gif
 

BrAinPaiNt

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Hoofbite;3382164 said:
"When Rac-oons try to get in our back porch, momma just chase 'em off with a broom".

Came in to see that and left fulfilled. :D
 

Jon88

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Yeagermeister;3382873 said:
:lmao2: Only South Park would come up with something like that

"The jobs started drying up. Then the stores had to shut down." :laugh2:
 
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