Raccoon in yard during the 90 degree day time!!!! = / Is it sick???

[mljohnson05]

Quote:
yep

I had one not to long ago doing that in my yard....except it would not even run when we charged at it....it also waled really really slow and was breathing odd, and dizzy like....Call them and get rid of it FAST !!!!
the disease is transmitted through the siliva....must much to belief, if it is "drooling" on ur yard, you will not catch it.....only if it bites you are is eaten by the animal

 

[DvanderSlik]

Whatever you do... be humane. Make it quick. And yes, I'd call Animal Control. They will probably take the carcuss, decap it and send it off for testing.

Best of luck.

 

[Dingo]

Quote:
Or is could just be out foraging. Perhaps it viewed chickens as too much effort to kill, it is a wild animal that has to conserve it's energy for something worth while.
These are ill raccoons.

 

[suzeqf]

I would er on the side of cautions and take care of it and i agree a clean chest shoot is the best thing because the only way to determine if a animal has rabies is to examine the brain and this is not typical behaviour for a coon unless it's a young one and has lost it's mother or has been a pet and putting it down is still the most humane thing to do because it will become a problem as it gets older and bigger especially if it knows it can find food and shelter we had a coon raise in the barn and wasn't afraid of people and became a major pain and pest especially in the hayloft and made a serious mess we finally got rid of them

 

[Aemelia]

How to recognize the symptoms of raccoon rabies

Rabies can manifest itself as "dumb" or "furious" rabies.
In dumb rabies:

* some animals may become depressed and retreat to isolated places
* wild animals, especially skunks, may lose their fear of humans
* animals may show signs of paralysis such as abnormal facial expressions, drooping head, sagging jaw, or paralysed hind limbs

In furious rabies:

* animals may show extreme excitement and aggression
* animals may gnaw and bite their own limbs
* animals may attack stationary things or other animals
* bouts of furious rabies usually alternate with periods of depression

From this page.
http://ottawa.ca/residents/health/environments/rabies/raccoon_en.html

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Raccoons are dayurnial creatures much to most peoples surprise. They do NOT only come out at night. They are omnivorus as well, eating everything eveything under the sun from protien to veggie/fruit and everything in-between. Sweets are very appealing to them. It didn't bother your chickens because there was a non moving food supply there in the corn. Having food sources like that around will bring in all sorts of predators.

Yes you don't want it around, besides the threat to your chickens, there is lice, ticks and diseases like distemper to be concerned about. Wild life control or a pest removal company will be most helpful in removal of unwanted creatures like this.

 

[Seattle_Chick]

Good info about dumb vs. furious rabies. I didn't realize it could manifest itself that way. I worked in a wildlife shelter as a teen and must say that even the coons that were born on site and handled extensively by people turned into nothing but spit and vinegar as they entered adolescence. A coon who is that unafraid of strangers is a bad sign. This American Life did a story about a woman who survived a rabid racoon attack. It was the most bonechilling thing I'd ever heard!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

In some areas racoons have little fear of humans or predators so can be found out and about in the daylight. I'd want to see some of the other signs listed above before I assumed rabies in those areas.

In MY area a coon out in the middle of the day like that is very unusual. Very. And since I kill coons on sight I'd do the same for that one. Then carefully bury him making sure not to contaminate anything. That's what a person in my area that I know was told the one time they called the wildlife commission to come get the coon he'd just shot that he thought might have been rabid. It's endemic among certain species so they don't test them any more unless they bite someone or their domestic animals.

 

[Nambroth]

Quote:
This is true. Also in many parts of the country they have young to feed right now and are more likely to be seen during the day, and doing bold things for food.

Be alert for the other signs of rabies, however. Calling your local DNR/Fish and Game would be wise as well. They can tell you if they have been notified of recent rabies reports in your area and so on.

 

[ragerkid2]

I didn't see it do anything weird... I have definitely seen the coons out at night on the dear cam. We had one do the same thing last year. It came for three days and all days it got a little less fearful of us, it never came back so i'm assuming it died. But i haven't seen him/her today. But if he comes back he has to. Any coon that comes in the day will have to go. My birds are pets, the coon isn't. Ill protect my birds.