Name: It’s not them — it’s us: Raccoon sightings, injuries in Toronto soar during COVID-19 lockdown
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It’s not them — it’s us: Raccoon sightings, injuries in Toronto soar during COVID-19 lockdown

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close This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To orderpresentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distributionto colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire aboutpermissions/licensing, please go to: Sightings of diseased raccoons and raccoon-related injuries skyrocketed last year — but it’s probably not because Toronto’s are getting sicker and more violent.During the pandemic, we’re spending more time roaming our own neighbourhoods, instead of visiting other cities or commuting to work. As a result, we’re running into raccoons more often — and probably getting a little too close for comfort. According to the city, Toronto Animal Services received And they clearly weren’t keeping the required two metres apart, either. Between January last year and February this year, Toronto Public Health saw a 62 per cent increase in reports of people being bitten or scratched by raccoons, compared to the two-year average between 2018 and 2019.There doesn’t seem to be any safe haven, either — raccoon reports came from all areas of Toronto, according to the city.Animal behaviourist Suzanne MacDonald said in an email that the city’s data is hard to interpret. “There could be an increase in sick or aggressive raccoons, but in my mind, it is much more likely due to the fact that people are spending more time at home and thus are interacting more with raccoons that they otherwise wouldn’t even be aware of,” she said.In fact, in its news release, the city speculates that the increase could also have been caused by Torontonians spending more time outside exercising in their neighbourhoods during the pandemic.Like most things nowadays, raccoons — and all wild animals — need to be kept at a distance, the city warns.The main reason Toronto Animal Services gets calls about sick raccoons is because they are suffering from canine distemper virus. It’s easy to spot, causing affected raccoons to stumble around in apparent confusion and suffer from gastrointestinal distress — and it can be spread to dogs.“An outbreak of distemper started in fall of last year,” said Sande Terry, owner of Sande Wildlife Control. “It spreads when people trap and release the animals without checking for diseases.”Distemper incidents have since levelled off, Terry said, as is usually the case once winter starts.“Raccoons don’t typically bite unless people are trying to touch them,” said Terry. “They’re very gentle animals.”However, raccoons can be provoked to violence by people trying to feed or pick them up, TPH spokesperson Paul Di Salvo said, though the public health unit’s reports indicate raccoons attacked without cause about a third of the time this year.Not surprisingly, the city is warning residents to avoid feeding or getting near the wild animals, and to keep a close eye on their pets, making sure their rabies vaccinations are up to date. “While the risk of rabies remains low in Toronto, it should be noted that raccoons are considered to be a higher risk species for rabies transmission in Canada,” said Esther Attard, director of Toronto Animal Services.The last time a rabid animal was was 2019, but it can be lethal if left untreated. Only one human is known to have survived rabies after symptoms presented. Treatment left her with lasting brain damage.If bitten or scratched by a raccoon, TPH advises you to immediately wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, apply antiseptic to it and seek medical attention. JOIN THE CONVERSATION Q:Have you seen more raccoons in your neighbourhood recently? Share your experience.Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)Sign InRegisterConversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the . The Star does not endorse these opinions.Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Allrights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content isexpressly prohibited without the prior written consent of TorontoStar Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies ofToronto Star articles, please go to:

close This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To orderpresentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distributionto colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire aboutpermissions/licensing, please go to: Sightings of diseased raccoons and raccoon-related injuries skyrocketed last year — but it’s probably not because Toronto’s are getting sicker and more violent.During the pandemic, we’re spending more time roaming our own neighbourhoods, instead of visiting other cities or commuting to work. As a result, we’re running into raccoons more often — and probably getting a...

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Ben Cohen

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It’s not them — it’s us: Raccoon sightings, injuries in Toronto soar during COVID-19 lockdown

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