Freakiest thing this morning. I saw a raccoon in the back streets of this residential area where I parked my car before catching the train for work. It was in the middle of the street. It wasn’t crossing the road; it just kept walking around in circles. I once heard the real life tazmanian devil does that when it’s hunting. What the hell was the racoon doing?
Last edited by johnmiic; Aug 30, '07 at 9:18 AM.
"The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow...How did it come to this?"
Punkin's Chew Toy
If they are really confused looking, and listless, probably distemper, or rabies. Especially if they are out in the daytime.
I was going to say the same thing. From what you described, the raccoon was probably infected with rabies and a really good idea that you didn't go anywhere near it.
Living out in the boonies, I've seen a lot of that stuff ....
If you see a coon, possum or skunk during the day, it's not a good thing.
Once a rabid raccoon chased me into my house.
I got my shot gun so I could put him down.
I went back outside.
Embarrassingly, I missed him and he kept coming.
He literally was like a terminator.....
Chased me right back into the house again.
That's when I did what a hillbilly would do ....
I just opened up the window and shot him from inside the house
Just to make sure,
I turned his body into the state to be tested....
Yep, he was rabid ......
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Yeah, sounds like rabies. Stay away. And if you see it again, call animal control.
Here's another odd racoon story. My sister lives out in the middle of nowhere, way out in the country. One night, she looked out her large glass dining room doors and saw two sets of eyes staring back at her. Upon further inspection, one set belonged to her cat..the other to a racoon. It was just sitting there beside the cat.
I found that cute, but disturbing!
Chris
Museum Webslinger
Rabid racoons make for good eatin' in Arkansas.
(just kidding)
Mego Preservation Society
Animals with rabies often change their behavior. Some animals may become depressed and lose their fear of humans, while others show extreme excitement and aggression. In early stages of the disease, the animal may show no signs at all. Pets may lose their appetites or become unusually aggressive, depressed or lethargic (sluggish). The animals' movements may seem awkward and stiff. Wild animals may seem friendly or become unusually aggressive. Night-roamers like raccoons and skunks may wander about in daylight. But remember some usually nocturnal animals, like raccoons, may be out in the daytime just looking for food – especially if it is a mother raccoon who has babies still in the den or a raccoon whose natural habitat has just been destroyed. If you think an animal has rabies stay away from it. If it is a family pet, isolate it. Do not get saliva from the animal on your skin. Immediately call your veterinarian, humane society or animal control agency. The rabies virus can be found in animal saliva days before any obvious symptoms develop. However, all animals that have the virus will develop symptoms and eventually die of the disease. Some symptoms of distemper may be mistaken for rabies. Canine distemper is also a viral disease, spread by direct or indirect contact. It kills more raccoons than any other disease. It has wiped out complete raccoon populations in some areas. It is the prime cause of death of young raccoons. Canine distemper cannot be transmitted to humans. All warm-blooded animals can transmit rabies, however.
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Rabies can manifest itself as "dumb" (paralytic) or "furious" (irritable) rabies.
In dumb rabies some animals may become depressed and retreat to isolated places; wild animals, especially skunks and raccoons, may lose their fear of humans; animals may show signs of paralysis such as abnormal facial expressions, drooping head, sagging jaw, or paralyzed hind limbs. The stages of furious rabies are similar to those through which an infected human passes. In furious rabies animals may show extreme excitement and aggression, gnaw and bite their own limbs, and attack stationary things or other animals. These bouts of furious rabies usually alternate with periods of depression.
Early signs of rabies in animals include altered disposition, fever, loss of appetite, and often, altered phonation, such as a change in tone of a dog's bark. These signs are often slight, however, and may escape notice. After a few days, marked restlessness and agitation may develop, along with trembling. An affected dog may growl and bark constantly and will viciously attack any moving object, person, or animal it encounters. If not restrained, it may leave home and travel great distances, inflicting much damage as it goes. This excited state usually lasts three to seven days and is followed by convulsions and paralysis. In some instances, signs of excitement and irritability are slight or absent, and paralysis develops within a few days of disease onset. In cases of this type, an early sign is often paralysis of the lower jaw, accompanied by increased salivation. This may cause the animal to appear to be choking on a foreign object, constituting a dangerous trap for humans, who, in attempting to be helpful, may unwittingly expose themse
Think B.A. Where did you hide the Megos?
I ate Racoon a few times.
Not rabid- I hope
They taste like stringy - gamie -beef.
In stew, they're actually pretty good.
Last edited by Mikey; Aug 30, '07 at 10:51 AM.
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WOW! Thanks for the advice. That's pretty frightening guys!!! I did half expect it to lunge at me or chase me just because it was so freakin' wierd to see it behaving that way.
In the NY area where I live even a hint of a racoon at night is a very rare thing.
"The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow...How did it come to this?"
Useless racoon trivia ......
Racoons are the only animal that have a bone inside their dong.
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