Poulsbo Woman Forced to Flee Home by “Hordes” of Aggressive Raccoons
A Kitsap County woman was forced to abandon her own home after being besieged by dozens of aggressive raccoons, The Associated Press reports.
The woman, who had been feeding a small family of raccoons for decades, reported that their numbers swelled to an estimated 50 to 100 in recent weeks, becoming increasingly demanding and aggressive.
“They would hound her day and night — scratching at the outside of her home, at the door. If she pulled up her car, they would surround the car, scratch at the car, surround her if she went from her front door to her car or went outside at all,” said Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. “They saw this as a food source now, so they kept coming back to it and they kept expecting food.”
The sudden increase in the raccoon population remains a mystery. While authorities investigated, they determined no laws were broken as feeding raccoons is not currently prohibited by state law. However, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) discourages feeding wildlife due to potential health risks and the attraction of other predators like coyotes and bears.
Following intervention from a WDFW wildlife conflict specialist, the woman has stopped feeding the raccoons. As a result, the number of raccoons has started to decline, and the woman is now able to return to her home.
