(C) Caterina Cattaneo 2008

Raccoon Facts

• Intelligence comparable to a cat or dog

• Five toes on each foot

• Active throughout the year

Links

WA Dept of Fish & Wild

The Humane Society

Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

During the snowy winter of 2008, we noticed raccoon tracks in our backyard in Northpark. Because raccoons are nocturnal we never did catch a glimpse of the animal. Raccoons are native to Washington, approximately three feet long, weighing 15-40 pounds with a masked face and bushy ringed tail. They are excellent tree climbers and have a distinct hunched walk because their hind legs are longer than their front legs. Raccoons have few predators and with the ample supply of human food, such as garbage, their populations can become quite large in urban areas. As long as we do not feed raccoons, they are not dangerous.

Avoid Attracting Raccoons to your Backyard

• Do not feed raccoons.

• Keep garbage stored inside a garage. Garbage attracts small mammals that, in turn, attract raccoons, bears, coyotes, cougars and bobcats.

• Clean up barbecues after each use.

• In winter, regularly pick up fallen birdseed.

• Fence your vegetable garden.

• Cover ponds at night when raccoons are most active.

• Feed pets indoors and keep them indoors at night. Raccoons are known to prey on cats.

If raccoons are a problem, do not attempt to trap them yourself. Call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at (425) 775-1311

Issaquah Highlands Connections Article about Raccoons

Raccoon (March 2009)