Woman calls 911 after 100 raccoons show up in her yard

After 100 raccoons show up in a woman’s backyard in Washington State she is forced to call 911 to find help.

By Vivienne Felber 

For over 35 years a woman in Washington State would feed a dozen raccoons in her backyard. However, six weeks ago the number of raccoons began to increase, so much so that the woman was forced into calling the sheriff’s office for help. 

Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, told NBC 9 News, “Somehow the word got out in raccoon land, and they all showed up to her house expecting a meal.” The first dozen raccoons were described as nice, but as more came, they became more aggressive. “Anytime she comes out of her home, they swarm her until she throws them food,” the sheriff’s department said. “The normal raccoons that she feeds are nice, but the new ones showing up scare her.”

Once the hoard of raccoons numbered to be 100 the woman decided to finally call 911. She was prompted because of the more aggressive nature of the new raccoons. The woman was only able to feel safe enough to leave in her car once sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene. 

It was revealed by the sheriff’s department that trappers had been asking for $500 per raccoon to cart them away. The woman was finally referred to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife who told her to stop feeding the raccoons. 

While the Sheriff’s department explained she had not broken any laws by feeding the raccoons, wildlife officials have come to a general consensus that feeding wildlife is never a good idea. Bridget Mire of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wrote in an email Thursday “We discourage people from feeding wildlife, as this causes them to lose their natural fear of people, which can lead to aggression.”