Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Racoon Bites Reported By McHenry County Animal Control

McHenry County Department of Health, Animal Control Division, urges residents to adopt a “hands-off” approach to local wildlife. 

In separate incidents, Animal Control reports two residents were recently bitten by raccoons after individuals left out food. One individual is currently undergoing rabies prophylaxis treatment.

Wild animals are attracted to your home by food and shelter. Remove these temptations and you can cut your risks of structural damage, home invasion and other problems.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers these tips:
  • Do not encourage wildlife (squirrels, raccoons) by feeding or leaving food for them.
  • Don’t allow bird food to accumulate on the ground.
  • Don’t place food scraps in gardens or compost bins.
  • Keep pet food and water containers indoors, especially at night.
  • If you have fruit trees, harvest or dispose of fruit when it is ripe.
  • Use metal or durable plastic trash containers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wild animals account for 9 out of 10 rabies cases in the United States and raccoons make up almost half of those.  Most raccoons are healthy and harmless but you should never touch or approach a wild raccoon, and you should definitely not feed them.

Racoon bites have been reported by McHenry County Animal Control 
  
Read more about it from the University of Illinois Extension’s “Living with Wildlife in Illinois” at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/ 


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