This video, an excerpt from the documentary "Raccoon Nation" on the Canadian Broadcast System series "The Nature of Things," gives a tantalizing glimpse into trapping raccoons via cellphone and magnetism. Hopefully some of you Rube Goldberg types (hey, Dogfish!) can figure out how the scientists built these traps.
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/video.html?ID=1788867378
The documentary itself was focused on urban raccoons in "Raccoon Central" for the world: Toronto, Canada. (Who knew?) Some facts the scientists discovered during this study:
Raccoon have been around for 40,000 years and originated in the tropics where they foraged for food along riverbanks.
Raccoons migrated north by adapting to new environments and are now found as far north as Alaska.
Raccoons are small, have sensitive hands and can eat just about anything, making them ideal for urban life.
Urban raccoon populations have grown 20 fold in the last 70 years.
Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world. Fifty times more raccoons live in the city than in the surrounding countryside.
Raccoons' hands have a dense mesh of nerves that act almost like taste buds sending information to the brain.
Raccoons use up to 20 den sites at a time, from sheds to sewers.
Their only real predator in urban environments are cars, which are the number one cause of raccoon mortality in cities.
In the city, raccoon territories average around three square blocks. They prefer backyards to parks.
It was telling that the program concluded with one of the scientists musing as to whether we are building an "uber-raccoon" that will eventually outsmart us in every way. They also covered how dangerous dried raccoon scat can be to both people and other animals.
Don't miss reading the Comments section...
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2011/raccoonnation/
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/video.html?ID=1788867378
The documentary itself was focused on urban raccoons in "Raccoon Central" for the world: Toronto, Canada. (Who knew?) Some facts the scientists discovered during this study:
Raccoon have been around for 40,000 years and originated in the tropics where they foraged for food along riverbanks.
Raccoons migrated north by adapting to new environments and are now found as far north as Alaska.
Raccoons are small, have sensitive hands and can eat just about anything, making them ideal for urban life.
Urban raccoon populations have grown 20 fold in the last 70 years.
Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world. Fifty times more raccoons live in the city than in the surrounding countryside.
Raccoons' hands have a dense mesh of nerves that act almost like taste buds sending information to the brain.
Raccoons use up to 20 den sites at a time, from sheds to sewers.
Their only real predator in urban environments are cars, which are the number one cause of raccoon mortality in cities.
In the city, raccoon territories average around three square blocks. They prefer backyards to parks.
It was telling that the program concluded with one of the scientists musing as to whether we are building an "uber-raccoon" that will eventually outsmart us in every way. They also covered how dangerous dried raccoon scat can be to both people and other animals.
Don't miss reading the Comments section...
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2011/raccoonnation/
