If you have watched the news recently there is an increase in raccoons with distemper in Weld County and Greeley specifically. We were interviewed by the news media and they asked if we are getting more calls than normal and I would say no, because we already get numerous calls this time of year for raccoons. However, the nature of the type of calls for raccoons has been alarming, and what I mean by that is the behavior in which the raccoons are acting. As wildlife professionals, we trap hundreds of raccoons every single year, so we are very familiar with their behavior. They are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night and sleep during the day. When a human comes across a raccoon they are generally very skittish and avoid being around people unless they have been habituated through food.
As wildlife professionals we don’t have the tools or resources to test each raccoon or other animal that we test. The only times we will get an animal tested by the state are in the unlikely event that someone gets bit. For instance, if a homeowner gets bitten by a bat, the bat would be taken to be tested for rabies to see if the homeowner needs to go through the series of shots. Although we aren’t testing the raccoons, we can tell based upon their behavior like being outside during the day, stumbling around and losing their fear of people, that they are sick from something.
As a homeowner it is important to keep a look out for uncommon behavior in raccoons and other wildlife in case they have distemper or rabies or even mange. Distemper is contagious between other racoons and dogs, but it cannot be transmitted to humans or cats. As wildlife professionals at Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control we highly recommend you call a professional in the event you observe sick or injured raccoons or other wildlife on your property. In no case should you approach them and please keep your distance.
As a homeowner, please follow the following guidelines to protect your family and pets
- Attempt to keep raccoons and other wildlife from your yard by making it unattractive.
- Don’t feed your pets outside, including water dishes and bird baths.
- Secure your garbage cans.
- Covering sandboxes so they don’t use it as a litter box.
If a raccoon or other unwanted wildlife appears in your yard, please call Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control so we can send one of our wildlife professionals out to capture the unwanted animal. Its important to know that not all raccoons have distemper in Greeley, just like not all bats carry rabies. However, be responsible and always treat wildlife with respect and avoid them and do not approach them. It’s not worth getting bitten. If you would like any more information about distemper please call our office and one of our office staff will assist you with getting your questions answers or scheduled to have one of our wildlife professionals arrive to set traps.
