Raccoons don't attack for the heck of it
 Q: Do raccoons like water? Do they attack something just for the heck of it? If so, why?
A: Originally, raccoons lived in the woods, near water, but, as the people cut down the trees, raccoons moved into open
land, even cities, and live there now. They're at home in water. Raccoons can cause people problems-but attack
something for the heck of it?
Left: [Judy Groth, © The Gables, used with permission] "Jack"
Coons might attack if threatened. When cornered, full-grown raccoons are savage fighters, ripping and slashing with
claws and teeth--a match for most predators. If hunted by dogs, a raccoon may come off best, especially if he can lure
the hound into water and drown it.
"I've never heard of them just attacking somebody for no reason. Usually they get mad if somebody stops giving them food or corners them in a threatening
way," says Alan Cooley raccoon wrangler at the University of Colorado at Boulder, taxidermist, and trapper.
Rabies, on the other hand, is a different story. A rabid raccoon can attack for no reason, like any rabid animal. To date, however, no human has contracted
rabies from a raccoon. Be careful, though. You don't want to be first.
(Answered by April Holladay, science correspondent, July 4, 2001)
Further Surfing:
The Gables: Raccoon information
Wildkind: raccoons
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