From: "Rich Gauszka" 

These are urban raccoons. They're probably better armed than that 


"Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:44eb69e9{at}w3.nls.net...
> Sounds like they need some bait and a shotgun autoloader.
>
> Gary
>
> "Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
> news:44eb26f7$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>> Dunno - just got a chuckle out of the headline
>>
>> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_sc/rampaging_raccoons_1
>>
>> Psycho killer raccoons terrorize Olympia
>>
>> OLYMPIA, Washington - A fierce group of raccoons has killed 10 cats,
>> attacked a small dog and bitten at least one pet owner who had to get
>> rabies shots, residents of Olympia say.
>>
>> Some have taken to carrying pepper spray to ward off the masked marauders
>> and the woman who was bitten now carries an iron pipe when she goes
>> outside at night.
>>
>> "It's a new breed," said Tamara Keeton, who with Kari
Hall started a
>> raccoon watch after an emotional neighborhood meeting drew 40 people.
>> "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid."
>>
>> Tony Benjamins, whose family lost two cats, said he got a big dog - a
>> German Shepherd-Rottweiler mix - to keep the raccoons away.
>>
>> One goal of the patrol is to get residents to stop feeding raccoons and
>> to keep pets and pet food indoors.
>>
>> Lisann Rolle said she began carrying an iron pipe when she goes outside
>> at night after being bitten by raccoons when she tried to pull three of
>> them off her cat Lucy. She obtained rabies shots afterward as a
>> precaution.
>>
>> "I was watching her like a hawk, but she snuck out,"
Rolle said. "Then I
>> heard this hideous sound - a coyote-type high pitch ... It was vicious.
>> They were focused on ripping her apart."
>>
>> The attacks have been especially shocking because raccoons came within
>> five feet (1 1/2 meters) of cats without any problem in previous years,
>> Benjamins said.
>>
>> "We used to love the raccoons. They'd have their babies this time of
>> year, and they were so cute. Even though we lived in the city, it was
>> neat to have wildlife around," he said, "but this year,
things changed.
>> They went nuts."
>>
>> In one case five raccoons tried to carry off a small dog, which managed
>> to survive.
>>
>> The attacks, all within a three-block area near the Garfield Nature Trail
>> in Olympia, are highly unusual, said Sean O. Carrell, a problem wildlife
>> coordinator with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, adding that
>> trappers may be summoned from the U.S.
>> Department of Agriculture to remove problem animals.
>>
>> "I've never heard a report of 10 cats being killed. It's something were
>> going to have to monitor," Carrell said.
>>
>> Meanwhile, residents have hired Tom Brown, a nuisance wildlife control
>> operator from Rochester, Washington, to set traps, but in six weeks he
>> has caught only one raccoon. He and Carrell said raccoons teach their
>> young - and each other - to avoid traps.
>>
>> Brown said he had seen packs of raccoons this big but none so into
>> killing.
>>
>> "They are in command up there," he said.
>>
>
>

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