Shocked homeowner calls authorities after being mobbed by more than 100 raccoons: 'Never ever feed wild animals'

Raccoons may be adorable, but these bandits are notorious for stealing food from the garbage and outright begging for treats from humans.

According to a Kitsap County Sheriff's Office report on the social media platform X, one Washington homeowner has learned the downside of freely sharing food with raccoons. 

What happened?

A homeowner living near Poulsbo, Washington, has fed raccoons on her property for nearly 40 years. But last October, she stepped outside to find herself surrounded by around 100 of the furry critters, all begging for food. 

The homeowner eventually fled in her car and called for help, which is when Kitsap County Sheriff's deputies showed up. She explained that the number of raccoons in her yard had exploded in the past six weeks, and the raccoons would surround her at all times, day or night, demanding she feed them.

The deputies recommended she contact the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to remedy the situation.

Why is this important?

The majority of comments on the post were summed up by a user who exclaimed, "Never ever feed wild animals!"

Another X user responding to the post speculated the raccoon explosion was due to the region's recent wildfires. They pointed out that there might be a shortage of food and resources for the raccoons and suggested "word got out in racoonville."

"Perhaps the little critters ran out of food sources because of human caused changes to the environment which they depend on to survive," they said. 

Events such as wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather conditions — supercharged by a warming climate linked to human activity, such as the burning of dirty fuels — are significant factors in wildlife seeking out new areas to live.

When animals seek to escape these events, they often end up closer to humans, and that can increase the likelihood of human-wildlife encounters. 

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The growth of the human population is also a factor. As humanity continues to expand, it becomes responsible for habitat loss. With that, more and more resources for wildlife disappear, like trees, food, and freshwater, which may also push wildlife to live closer to humans. 

Ultimately, human-wildlife encounters can have deadly consequences for both people and animals, as creatures that eat human food can lose their natural fear of us and become more aggressive as they try to obtain food. 

What can be done to prevent a situation like this in my area?

For starters, never feed wild animals. Wildlife may be cute, but this story shows how much they can grow to depend on food from people, which increases the risks for everyone involved.

You can also ensure that animals can't steal food from your garbage by investing in wildlife-proof trash bins and keeping them in a shed or garage until garbage day. 

If you have anything else animals could eat, such as a vegetable garden, putting up a fence should help.

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