A Washington woman’s backyard turned into a raccoon rodeo earlier this month when she was overwhelmed by nearly 100 of the furry fiends.
POULSBO, Wash. – A Washington woman’s backyard turned into a raccoon rodeo earlier this month when she was overwhelmed by nearly 100 of the furry fiends.
The animals, which had been frequenting her Poulsbo home for decades, had recently become increasingly aggressive in their demands for food, according to authorities.
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This Washington woman’s backyard became a furry free-for-all!
(Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office)
The woman had been feeding the raccoons for over 35 years, but was forced to flee her home in her car to escape the overwhelming number of creatures, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said.
The situation had escalated dramatically in the past six weeks.
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After 35 years of feeding raccoons, this chaotic scene unfolded on Oct. 3 for a Poulsbo, Washinton, woman.
(Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office)
On Oct. 3, deputies responded to the woman’s call for help and suggested that she contact the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for assistance.
Wildlife officials advised the woman that the best way to resolve her issue was to eliminate the food source that had attracted the raccoons.
Initial concerns were raised about the potential need for euthanasia if the animals became aggressive. However, WDFW emphasized that removing food sources was crucial to preventing conflicts with wildlife, FOX 13 in Seattle reports.
After the woman stopped feeding the raccoons, the animals began to disperse. According to FOX 13, a wildlife conflict specialist from WDFW met with the woman and confirmed that the raccoons were leaving the property.