(Newser)
– In Toronto, which emerges from a tight deadlock for several months next week, the pandemic has brought residents closer to their local wildlife – and interactions have not always gone well. Public health authorities say there has been a 62% increase in reports of people being scratched or bitten by raccoons, CBC reports. Calls to Toronto Animal Services regarding sick or injured raccoons have tripled year-on-year to more than 13,000 in 2020. Authorities say raccoons are not getting more aggressive, but people who stay home or take multiple walks in their neighborhoods meet animals sick and biting when trying to cope with them. Some people have also been bitten or scratched when stroking or feeding wild raccoons, which the authorities strongly recommend.
“People are really stupid,” says Derick McChesney, owner of a wildlife control company. guardian. “I’m face to face with them every day. One could be aggressive, especially if there are babies around. But for the most part, nothing has changed with them. Instead, people are more at home and, Unfortunately, they’re also stupid. “McChesney says many people who stay home all day realize for the first time that raccoons live in their bridges or access spaces. “They always had a unique ability to figure out where the quiet places in the house are,” he says. “They like to nest directly above the master bedroom,” because it’s usually quiet during the day, he says. (Mice are usually nocturnal, but the disorder can cause them to act as “zombies” during the day.)