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I once had to shoot, then bury a Distempered raccoon that came into my yard, because nobody would come out. This was back in the 80's and I lived a lot less rural than I do now.
The OP was wise to keep on moving, since someone had already called the park ranger.
If the raccoon did have distemper, that stuff carries on shoes & clothing, food and water bowls. It is a very hardy disease.
Don't take my word for it, google it.
This should help people understand why they need to keep their own critters vaccinated.
Yeah distemper seems like a good possibility. I don't recall running into ill wildlife and raccoons really before. They always seem healthy and vigorous. I figure they get sick and old too but just don't run across it.
I saw something unusual on a trail at a nature park this evening. Walking the trail I saw up ahead three people crouched around what I first thought was probably a cat. When I got there it was a wild raccoon who appeared to be sick but not aggressive and wouldn't run from people. It just sat on its hind legs at the side of the trail, with its head kind of bowed and shivering, looking weak and appearing as if it wanted help. They had called the ranger and we assumed the raccoon was ill, and I went on my way. I just never seen a wild animal behave like that. It's kind of sad to see any living creature sick, suffering and probably dying.
Yeah distemper seems like a good possibility. I don't recall running into ill wildlife and raccoons really before. They always seem healthy and vigorous. I figure they get sick and old too but just don't run across it.
They either hide away knowing they are vulnerable, or predators pick them off and scavengers clean up what's left pretty quickly.
Nature is pretty cruel, the world is not a big park. Most animals do not die from old age - they get eaten by another animal or they get sick, or starve in the winter. They get infections from wounds just like people, they are vulnerable to tick-born diseases, there are infectious diseases that get passed around.
It looks upsetting to us but it is how nature works; it is normal.
We have some wildlife police in Oregon that will take care of your problem. They recently killed a young Bobcat that was acting strangely. BANG! you're dead!
We have some wildlife police in Oregon that will take care of your problem. They recently killed a young Bobcat that was acting strangely. BANG! you're dead!
The kitten wasn't acting strangely. It was just in what they thought was the wrong place.
Read the OP again. Someone had already called for help. No one was "doing nothing".
OP there are several diseases, even end stage parasitic infestations that could have caused this. Rabies is just one. Canine distemper, leptospirosis, tularemia. It could even have been a traumatic injury. Poor thing, I hope it is put out of its misery soon.
My sister in law and I were walking on the grounds of a local college once when we saw a fox that was obviously ill. We reported it to college security who dispatched it. Necropsy found distemper.
Vaccinating your pets protects them, but it also protects wildlife that may come in contact with them.
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