An reader writes:
Returned to 4200 block a month ago after working out of state for number of years.
Noticed on several evenings and even in broad daylight a scrawny sick looking raccoon in yards who appears unafraid of humans. I am used to urban wildlife but am wondering if this needs to be reported to city/county?
Have others observed?
I can’t speak to the sick / scrawny looking raccoon, but we’ve had a family of raccoons trooping through our yard near 42nd and 4th Ave NE for years. Back when we had a cat, there was a period where we’d come down in the morning to find mud all around the cat’s water dish inside. Turns out the raccoon was climbing through the cat door to wash it’s food.
More recently, we’ve had to tie out compost bin to a fence so the raccoons wouldn’t knock it over, then a couple weeks back, Mrs. Wallyhood woke up to find two of them using our kiddie pool as a food wash basin.
Does Wallingford have a mascot?
From the Washington Dept of Fish & Wildlife page on raccoons (http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/raccoons.html), “if a raccoon continues to act aggressively or strangely (circling, staggering as if drunk or disoriented, or shows unnatural tameness) it may be sick or injured. In such a case, call a wildlife rehabilitator….” Following various links from there, there were three suggested names, but one was raptors only, and the other mentioned eggs of birds & reptiles, so I’d go with:
Jennifer Convy, Director – PAWS Wildlife Center
15305 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98046
425-412-4040
Notes: All spp
I hadn’t realized this until now, but we have had a couple pools in our backyard get mysterious holes in them… darn coons!
I’d like to propose that Rocky Raccoon be named the official mascot of Wallyhood, with Ollie O. Possum named vice-mascot.