Raccoon's freedom costs San Francisco carpenter his job

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A carpenter has been fired for freeing a raccoon that had been trapped by exterminators at the San Francisco construction site where he worked.

Todd Sutton tells the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1x8xudK ) that he came to work one morning in late February and saw the animal inside a trap.

The builders had hired professional trappers to have the critter — which was blamed for damage at the $610 million project — removed and euthanized.

But the 49-year-old carpenter says he put the animal in his truck and released it in a nearby grassy area, after getting guidance from animal control officers.

His employer told the newspaper the move amounted to theft, because Sutton took something from the site that didn't belong to him.

Sutton has hired an attorney.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

Source

Russia: Escaped raccoon prompts two-week chase

8 October 2014 Last updated at 10:19

A raccoon which escaped from a touring Russian animal show evaded searchers for two weeks by hiding close to home, it's reported.

"Cheeky" Venya the raccoon outsmarted his handlers by camping out in the very building hosting the "World of Animals" exhibit while a search party scoured the city of Smolensk looking for him, The Moscow Times reports. Meanwhile, food was disappearing in the building and someone appeared to be scattering talcum powder around the place, says the organizer of the exhibit, Alexei. "Raccoons can climb up trees to a height of 30m. They live in burrows and hollows, and at night they come down in search of food. So with Venya, it seems, his natural instincts were awakened," Alexei tells local news outlet Smolenskaya Gazeta. Venya was born and raised in captivity and local reports say he's not capable of surviving in the wild.

Continued ...

Raccoon survives month at sea by eating cardboard

A stowaway raccoon is thought to have survived a month at sea by eating cardboard.

Curious Meeko got in a container in Davenport, Iowa, US, that was sent by rail to Halifax in Canada and shipped to Liverpool.

The cargo was driven to Ebbw Vale in South Wales, where workers found a furry extra in their machine parts order.

‘She was really thin when she arrived but is starting to put some weight on,’ said Jan Garen, who has given Meeko a home at Wales Ape and Monkey sanctuary, in Abercrave.

‘She is getting used to us but she has had a rough ride. She was locked in that container for four weeks and somehow survived by drinking condensation and eating cardboard.

‘It’s obvious that she wasn’t a pet, she’s a wild animal so she has to be handled very carefully.’

Her new parents now plan to build a permanent home for the cheeky critter, who is slowly returning to full health, at the Welsh sanctuary.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/26/meeko-the-raccoon-survives-month-at-sea-eating-cardboard-4119945/

Violent raccoon attack sends dog and his owner to the hospital

A violent raccoon attack in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood left both a dog and its owner in need of medical attention. 

Jason Campbell says he let his dog out into their fenced backyard on Tuesday night, just like he does every evening.

He heard the confrontation between his pet and an aggressive raccoon even before he saw it.

"I heard him squealing, and I heard the raccoon hissing," he said. "And I was like Alfie, Alfie, get inside!"

His terrier mix, Alfie, quickly ran inside. That's when Jason says the raccoon followed, and then turned on him.

"It kinda pushed me back into the house, so I was kicking and yelling," said Jason. "It was scary, I think the scariest thing was thinking he was going to go up the stairs."

When Jason threw his cell phone at the animal, it eventually retreated, but not before biting Jason on the leg.

As a typical protective pet owner, he took his dog to the animal hospital before seeing a doctor himself.

Jason says the doctors at Harborview Medical Center seemed very interested in his wound.

"I think they were like, whoa, it actually bit you," he said. "I think I had about ten injections last night, and I have to go back for four rounds of rabies treatments."

Alfie also suffered some bites and scratches, but both dog and owner are expected to be okay.

There are some strict rules regarding killing or trapping raccoons. Your best bet, especially in an urban setting, is to contact a pest professional to catch the raccoon for you.

Jason's advice to neighbors is to keep pets on a leash at night, even if they're inside a fenced backyard. 

He's also considering additional backyard lighting.

According to King County Animal Control, raccoons have adapted to urban and suburban life and are becoming more and more common in King County. 

Bites and rabies aren't the only concerns - raccoons' feces and urine also carry diseases that can be spread to people and pets.

Wildlife experts recommend anyone who encounters an aggressive raccoon to run away. You should also keep your pet's food inside and trash cans tightly secured, to keep them from scavenging so close to your home. 

Video

Escaped raccoon spotted near Callander in Stirlingshire

The raccoon was one of three that escaped from a wildlife centre 

A raccoon is on the loose in the area around Callander in Stirlingshire, Police Scotland have warned. 

The animal is one of three racoons that escaped after a branch damaged their enclosure at the Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre during a storm in January. Two have since been recovered. 

The force said it had recently received several sightings of the small mammal. 

Officers added that the creature was not dangerous, but could give a nasty bite if cornered. 

Raccoons are nocturnal and tend to hide during the day. 

A force spokeswoman said:"The raccoon is not dangerous. However, it may give a nasty bite should it be cornered. 

"It is an adult male and roughly the size of a domestic cat. A young child could easily mistake it for being a pet, lift it and get a nasty bite. 

"If you come across the raccoon do not approach it but call the police immediately."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-22373990

Racoon that attacked dog had rabies

A raccoon that attacked and bit a 65-pound dog named Champ was rabid, Palm Beach County health officials said Monday.

Champ was attacked and bitten Thursday by the raccoon on Caloosa Boulevard near Bee Line Highway. Animal Care and Control was notified and sent the deceased raccoon for testing. Champ sustained bites on the leg and was treated by a local veterinarian with a rabies booster shot and antibiotics.

The Palm Beach County Health Department is recommending the dog remain in strict quarantine for 180 days as it was not current with its rabies vaccination when attacked.

Continued:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/fl-rabid-racoon-20120917%2c0%2c254221.story

Masked, bushy-tailed cemetery flower bandit nabbed

For weeks, a bandit would pull flowers out of vases at Grand Forks' Memorial Park Cemetery, leaving behind no traces to help solve the mystery.

But the perpetrator has been nabbed. Turns out, it's a raccoon.

Robin Purcell, the Grand Forks Cemetery Association administrator, told the Grand Forks Herald (http://bit.ly/MiVjYu) that he apprehended the beady-eyed, bushy-tailed culprit Friday morning in a trap. He used cat food for bait.

The vandalism spree began two weeks before Memorial Day, making the situation more frustrating for Purcell and his staff as they prepared for the holiday. Every day for nearly a month, Purcell would arrive at Memorial Park to find flowers pulled out and set next to the vases.

"At first, we thought it was just a random occurrence," he said. "But then it happened the next day and continued for weeks."

Purcell and his staff first thought they were dealing with a human vandal.

"Normally, when people remove the flowers, they'll throw them away from the grave or just steal them," he said. "But these flowers were being laid next to the vases."

Purcell eventually suspected it was a critter, and moths and grubs found in the vases confirmed the suspicion.

He borrowed a trap from the game warden's office, but it turned up empty the following morning. A check of the trap Thursday morning produced no raccoon, either.

"He ate all the cat food we had in front of the trap but he didn't go into it," Purcell said.

But Purcell arrived Friday morning to find a metal box contained one wet, mud-covered raccoon.

Purcell suspects the accused may be part of a family, leaving the possibility that he has a few more suspects to catch before the flowers are safe again.

The bandit was sentenced to life in the countryside.

http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/apArticle/id/D9V98IEG0/