From: "Rich Gauszka" 

Not fabled at all.  The psycho killer raccoons mentioned in the article
were urban.  "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid."


>>>

"Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:44eb78d4{at}w3.nls.net...
> Ah the fabled Urban Raccoons the smaller but more fierce cousin to the
> Urban Gorilla. 
>
> Gary
>
> "Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
> news:44eb6d8c{at}w3.nls.net...
>> 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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