In what can only be described as a real-life 2024 reboot of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror classic The Birds, a Poulsbo, Washington woman’s casual habit of feeding a few raccoons turned into a full-blown furry frenzy earlier this week.
The unnamed woman, who had been feeding the local raccoon population for over 35 years, called the police after she could not enter her home due to a gathering of 100 raccoons waiting for their next meal.
Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kevin McCarty explained that the woman had been feeding a few raccoons regularly without issue for decades.
“But somehow, the word got out in raccoon land, and now the whole gang showed up expecting dinner,” McCarty quipped.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they were greeted by 50 to 100 raccoons crowding the woman’s property like they were waiting for the headliner to take the stage. “They had never seen that many raccoons in one place. This was a first for everyone,” McCarty added.
And just like that, the woman’s yard became a sanctuary to Rocky and his homies.
“I’d say it’s been about the last month or so I’ve noticed it,” Wendy Cronk, who lives nearby, told KUSA. “I’ve had several raccoons in the yard recently. My dogs have gotten in a scuffle several times with a raccoon. I’ve even had to take one of my dogs to the vet after tussling with a raccoon. And I’ve also noticed there’s been a lot more hit raccoons up on the main road here.”
Cronk even suggested that someone intervene to handle the mammal issue on the woman’s behalf.
“I just hope that somebody steps in and helps her take care of this problem, and hopefully, she’ll quit doing it,” said Cronk.
The police referred the case to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, who determined that feeding raccoons isn’t illegal, but is a recipe for chaos. Bridget Mire, a spokesperson for the department, said, “The raccoons have started dispersing now that they aren’t being fed, and we’re glad for a positive outcome.”
As for the woman, she had contacted a company to relocate the raccoons, but it was a costly fix at $500 per animal. She declined the service.
McCarty left everyone with a word of advice, “It’s pretty simple—don’t feed wild animals. Once they know where the food is, they’ll keep coming back. And in this case, they invited the whole raccoon neighborhood.”
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the raccoon takeover on X (formerly Twitter) with the cheeky caption: “On Patrol: Raccoon Invasion.” Social media was quick to react, with users poking fun at the bizarre scene and criticizing the woman for decades of unintended raccoon population growth.
On Patrol: Raccoon Invasion pic.twitter.com/5pAUE761Nk
— Kitsap Sheriff (@KitsapCoSheriff) October 7, 2024
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