Very Scary Racoon
by Lucy VanSwearingen
This fella came into our yard during the day. He looked to be in pain one minute and fine the next. But, you could tell, that something was very wrong with him. We have an invisible fence for our dogs, and he stayed about 2 feet from them on the other side of the wire.
I took some photos and brought the dogs inside.
Later on, I heard a gunshot from my neighbor's place. I called, and he had, indeed, dispatched the poor animal.
I had intended to go to the feed store and get a trap, so I could take him to the wildlife rescue. But, John, my neighbor, who has seen it all...told me that they would have immediately put him down. He did not have any visible wounds or broken bones.
How very sad. I have other photos of him looking very beautiful, which I will post another time. We think, he had distemper, as rabies is not often seen in racoons around here.
Comments
5 comments(Good thing Callie didn't get to him!)
Every once in a while, the coon would sort of sit/fall down and shake his back legs. At first, I thought he must have a broken foot and just be starving. But, a wounded animal would be hiding, not coming into plain sight of dogs and humans during the day.
He stayed about 2 to 4 feet away from us, as he wandered around. After we came inside, he plopped himself on my porch for a while, before going over to John's property.
It was interesting watching his behavior, although sad.