If there is a wild animal, such as a raccoon, in your home, professional wildlife removal in Barrie is necessary to prevent a confrontation in which you could be injured. Generally speaking, raccoons are not aggressive animals. They prefer to escape a confrontation than to fight. However, they are willing and able to defend themselves if necessary, and they can also carry rabies, which may cause them to act erratically. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent an attack.

1. Know the Symptoms of Rabies

Under no circumstances should you ever approach or try to handle a raccoon or any other wild animal. However, if you see a raccoon that appears to be rabid, you need to alert the appropriate animal control authorities in your community to prevent it from spreading rabies.

Some people believe that a raccoon that is active during the day must have rabies because raccoons are usually nocturnal. A raccoon that is active during the day isn’t necessarily rabid, but you should alert authorities if you notice it exhibiting any symptoms of rabies:

• Wandering around erratically and staggering
• Facial fur that is wet or matted; discharge from the mouth or eyes
• Self-mutilation
• Repeated vocalization that is high pitched

2. Avoid Cornering the Raccoon

As long as the raccoon has an escape route, it is likely to take it. If the raccoon feels threatened and it has no escape route, that is when it is likely to attack as it feels it has no other choice. You should avoid backing a raccoon in a corner and make sure that it has an escape route. Once the raccoon notices the escape route, it will probably take it.

3. Run Away

Raccoons have very strong teeth and jaws. If a raccoon bites you, even if it does not have rabies, it could cause severe wounds that require stitches to repair. If a raccoon is behaving aggressively toward you, you need to get away as quickly as possible to avoid a bite. A raccoon can also injure you by scratching you with its sharp claws, which could also expose you to rabies if the animal is infected.

4. Seek Medical Attention

If a raccoon does bite you, go to a doctor immediately. Not all raccoons are infected with rabies, but they are common rabies vectors, i.e., animals that can spread the disease. Rabies is almost always fatal, but it takes a while to incubate. Starting the course of rabies vaccination shortly after the bite can prevent infection. You may also need other vaccinations after a raccoon bite, such as a tetanus booster, and the wounds may require medical treatment such as stitches.

5. Protect Your Pets

Pets, especially dogs, are very curious and territorial. If they find a raccoon on your property, they may investigate it, which may make the raccoon feel threatened. The misunderstanding between the two species may cause the raccoon to attack. Protect your pets by supervising them when they are outside and keeping them on a leash when taking them for a walk. If possible, avoid letting your pets outside at night. If you must let them out at night, turn on an outdoor light first. This allows you to inspect the yard for raccoons before letting pets outside and may also serve to scare away any raccoons that may be present.

To avoid attracting raccoons to your yard, do not leave pet food outside, especially overnight. Feed your pet indoors instead.

Call Skedaddle for Wildlife Removal in Barrie

Professional raccoon control is the best way to deal with them without a confrontation that could lead to an attack. Our trained technicians know how to keep you safe while removing animals humanely. Find out more about the wildlife services we offer.