The City of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada has been called the "raccoon capital" of the world and with good reason. Few homeowners in the region have yet to observe some form of raccoon activity or its after-effects. Residents, plagued by the remnants of these messy, frequently inconsiderate neighbours have been known to reach a boiling point. An example of this happened recently, when homeowner, Dong Nguyen, 53, was charged with allegedly hitting a baby raccoon with a shovel after he caught it digging in his garden one night last June. The case was controversial in the Toronto region as enraged, animal activists rose in fury. Soon after the event, other citizens, having experienced raccoon damage, countered with an anti-raccoon rally, claiming the pests needed to be controlled rather than protected.
Raccoon Adaptations to Urban Life
The reality is that for anyone living in a city with a raccoon problem, the odds are probably in the raccoons' favour! Raccoons are uniquely adapted to urban life. Research has proven that urban and rural raccoons, while they may look the same, have vastly different skill-sets! Omnivorous, raccoons can eat both plant and animal material, which means that they consume almost everything. In urban areas, almost everything is readily available which explains why, in the last 70 years, the adaptable raccoon population has increased incrementally in many cities.
Last February, the CBC documentary, "Raccoon Nation", revealed a number of interesting facts about urban raccoons as they were tracked with the help of GPS technology, by wildlife researchers in Toronto. The study showed that these animals customarily remain within one relatively small area, avoiding road-crossings whenever possible and thereby reducing road kill. Often, they follow a series of regular routes along backyard fencing and adjacent trees and shrubs. Within any given territory, the animals can successfully negotiate safe, efficient, escape paths, ensuring that they are higher off the ground than many potential predators. A given raccoon may have several residences within one area where it can rest and hide during the day.
The agility and almost legendary dexterity of the raccoon are other significant factors in their survival. For many years, it was believed that these creatures prefer to "wash" their food in water before eating. Researchers now say that this is a myth. In fact, the raccoon likely puts its front paws in the water to heighten the sensitivity of the front feet up to five times greater than when dry.
Effects on Humans
Certainly a valuable example of the adaptation of wildlife to urban living, these dexterous animals are known to unscrew jar lids, uncork bottles, and even open "pest proof" waste bins. They also nest inside the attics and porches of their human roommates, resulting in significant damage. Those telltale holes appearing in your lawn may mean that raccoons, seeking a nighttime snack, have uncovered grubs. Add to this a hardy roundworm parasite that is extremely hazardous to humans and pets alike, and a raccoon infestation can be a serious health issue as well.
Dealing With Raccoons in the City
So, what to do about an animal some affectionately call an engaging bandit and others call an annoying pest? There are a number of suggestions put out by the City of Toronto that you can do yourself. Most of these amount to creating an undesirable environment for the raccoons.
Loud noises - using a radio, for example - can sometimes cause the furry critters to move elsewhere. Motion detector lighting sometimes provides another deterrent (but be sure to use bright lighting as the critters won't be deterred by weak illumination!) Strong flavours like diluted Tabasco sauce, oil of mustard, naphtha flakes, or ammonia poured onto organic waste may send them to other people's recycling bins. The final method would be to call a pest control company to trap and move the animals elsewhere. Sadly, however, if the animals are not moved far enough away, they have been known to return to their former haunts!
Urban raccoons can be a nuisance. These furry residents of many cities around the world have successfully adapted to urban life. It is unlikely, therefore, that they will not continue to flourish in the future. The good news is that once they've had a negative experience, these intelligent animals, capable of recalling a lesson learned, may not return.
All sources consulted on July 13, 2011
For further reading:
- Learning to Live with Raccoons..
- The City Raccoon and the Country Raccoon
- Living With Raccoons (updated version by Robert Fulford)
Jennifer Wilson - By the time you've marched around for five decades and earned a few degrees, you've learned a few things about a few things....
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