Zombie Raccoon

[IROC]

Had an interesting interaction with a raccoon yesterday morning.

I let the dog out (he sleeps in the garage when it's cold) and he immediately starts freaking out about something under the deck on the back of the house. My wife is concerned, but I figure it's a rabbit or something and the whole event will "work itself out" - I'm not getting involved.

The dog is going nuts, though. I'm reading the paper and the wife is watching out the window. She starts yelling, "There it is, there it is! It's a raccoon!". The dog is going nuts and the raccoon is fighting for his life, so I figure I better intervene. I go out there and grab the dog (a ~60 lbs lab mix) and allow the raccoon to escape through the fence.

I go back in and continue reading the paper. The dog starts going nuts again. The raccoon came back and went back under the deck! I go back out there, but I'm not sure exactly what to do. The dog flushes it out again and they go at it, so I grab my pool net and scoop up the raccoon and carry him over and throw him over the fence into our driveway. He's hissing and pissed off at this point.

He is obviously traumatized, but won't walk away? I'm telling him, "Man, I just saved your life - run away!". I go out the gate and try and shoo him off, but he only reluctantly moves. I sort of herd him around in the front yard with the pool net figuring he will take off running at any point now. He moves really slowly and then stops. He raises up on his hind legs and points his nose in the air and bares his teeth and sort of starts vibrating and then he falls over on the ground. I figure the dog must has mortally wounded him. Then he gets up and starts walking again.

He starts walking around by my barn and the area where the chickens are, so I go put the chickens in the coop and keep an eye on the raccoon. He does his little zombie move a few more times, but shakes it off and sort of just walks around. Then he lays down and appears to take a nap. I figure he's dying and think (great, I'll dig a hole to bury him with my tractor!) and then he gets up and starts walking back to the house! I go "confront" him (trying to avoid getting the dog riled up again) and suddenly realize that this raccoon has no fear of me. He's coming right at me and is about 10 feet away. I'm standing there with nothing, so I dash into my detached garage (about 20 feet away) and grab a shovel. When I come back out he's gone. Never saw him again.

Reading this morning, I think he had distemper.

Crazy, zombie raccoon!!

[Jims5543]

My guess was rabies.

Was the dog scratched or bitten? If yes get it to the vet pronto. Hell, get it to the vet regardless and get it checked out.

If the Raccoon comes back kill it and bring it too.

[Baz]

That's pretty unusual behaviour for sure. I think you're right. It's always a battle of wits here with them. Here's my latest opponent. I use a havaheart trap and relocate into the marsh.

[ckelly78z]

We had one on our front porch scratching at the screen door. When wild animals aren't afraid of us, there is usually something wrong with them. Raccoons are nocturnal by nature, and avoid people at all cost, so when one has no fear, you should be in fear (of distemper/rabies/injury) that can be transmitted to uour, and/or your pet.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

My guess was rabies.

Was the dog scratched or bitten? If yes get it to the vet pronto. Hell, get it to the vet regardless and get it checked out.

If the Raccoon comes back kill it and bring it too.

Yep...I see all kinds of critters on my rural property...live and let live. I also keep a 9mm in my pocket...I would have killed that coon.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

We had one on our front porch scratching at the screen door. When wild animals aren't afraid of us, there is usually something wrong with them. Raccoons are nocturnal by nature, and avoid people at all cost, so when one has no fear, you should be in fear (of distemper/rabies/injury) that can be transmitted to uour, and/or your pet.

I have seen plenty of nocturnals out during the day, but not acting crazy like that one.

[IROC]

I thought about rabies, but reading online, it appears to be distemper. Just like this:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/zombie-raccoons-are-terrorizing-city-youngstown-ohio-180968704/

The dog looks fine. I checked him over closely and not a scratch on him. The raccoon didn't appear to be injured, either. That's why I didn't understand why he didn't just run away. Our deck is really low to the ground and the dog couldn't get under it, but was losing his mind.

He was a small raccoon - must have been an adolescent. About the size of a big house cat.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by KC911

Yep...I see all kinds of critters on my rural property...live and let live. I also keep a 9mm in my pocket...I would have killed that coon.

If I would have had a gun, I would have shot him for sure.

[KFC911]

You may be right...I'd still kill the coon...no kidding.

[IROC]

Found a video! This is exactly what it was doing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNR63VZ42Eo

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by IROC

If I would have had a gun, I would have shot him for sure.

I keep a baby Ruger LC9S in my pocket at all times on my rural property...

[Tobra]

Rabid would act about like that too

[nota]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

We had one on our front porch scratching at the screen door. When wild animals aren't afraid of us, there is usually something wrong with them. Raccoons are nocturnal by nature, and avoid people at all cost, so when one has no fear, you should be in fear (of distemper/rabies/injury) that can be transmitted to uour, and/or your pet.

you have not met the beach beggars we have locally
whole groups of raccoons come right up to cars at a beach parking lot
to beg for food in the day time

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by jims5543

my guess was rabies.

Was the dog scratched or bitten? If yes get it to the vet pronto. Hell, get it to the vet regardless and get it checked out.

If the raccoon comes back kill it and bring it too.

+1

[mreid]

That is one tall and skinny raccoon, Baz!

I think distemper more than rabies, however any encounter a dog has with a raccoon should be cause for concern. My six month old husky killed a raccoon, was up on all of his shots, yet still was placed in home quarantine for two weeks with daily inspections by the local animal welfare officer.

I have a pesky raccoon who climbs the trellis by our bedroom and bangs around on the roof. Our roof is copper and the bedroom ceiling is vaulted so is sounds like he is actually in the bedroom. He also steals the cats food and pulls the covers and skimmer baskets out of my pool causing the pump to jam up with all the leaves and pollen in San Antonio this time of year. I’m going to break out the have a heart trap. The problem is that no one wants him once I trap him.

[Jolly Amaranto]

When I was in college I worked as a life guard at a summer camp on a lake in New Hampshire. On two occasions I had to kill a raccoon like that with a canoe paddle. With all the kids around, I was afraid it was rabies and buried them in the woods out of the way. I talked to the local vet in Meredith about it after the first incident and he indicated it was probably canine distemper but not to take any chances.

[Eric 951]

As you have found out, there is an outbreak of distemper in raccoons. I came across one Thursday in the middle of the day in obvious distress. Make sure your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

As you have found out, there is an outbreak of distemper in raccoons. I came across one Thursday in the middle of the day in obvious distress. Make sure your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations.

Yep, dog was vaccinated back in January. I looked him over really good and he didn't have a mark on him.

I just wish I could keep him away from skunks.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by IROC

Yep, dog was vaccinated back in January. I looked him over really good and he didn't have a mark on him.

That is good news.

We have to shoot Racoon's like this once in a while and it is sad, sad task, expecially the clean up and burial.

[GG Allin]

If there is a .00000000001% chance it's Rabies, I wouldn't **** around.