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November 14, 2008

Raccoons Take Clinton Hill

raccoon-1108-b.jpgWe were headed to dinner last night when we were greeted by a critter who bore a striking resemblance to the fellow in this photo. This was our first run-in with a raccoon in Brooklyn so we referred to Google for some context: Turns out there was a rash of them a couple of years back in Park Slope. Green-Wood Cemetery was overrun last winter. And, on Wednesday, one was caught on film outside the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:42 AM | Comments (31)
Categories: Streets

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A neighbor of mine had a mother and two babies living on his porch overhang in Windsor Terrace. I have personally seen several rummaging through the trash in front of my house.

Posted by: pwhite at November 14, 2008 9:50 AM

they are SOOOO cute tho! i havent seen one yet. i guess they carry rabies? tell me they carry rabies so i won't be tempted to pet one if i do see one. also i dont see why this is such a big deal and why it's all over blogs this week. brooklyn, is, well, sorta the suburbs and all suburbs have raccooons and stuff.


-rob

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 14, 2008 9:56 AM

I can vouch for raccoons in the Slope a while back. We had several visit our back yard occasionally last summer (looked like a mom and baby) and fall. One actually snuck up on me while I was doing yoga on the deck very early one morning. My next door neighbor swears there is an opossum running around the wilds of the South Slope, but I haven't seen it.

Rob's right, they are cute, but can have rabies and should be avoided.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 14, 2008 10:06 AM

I've been seeing them around Prospect Heights a lot recently. They're very cute but even without rabies they can be pretty vicious, best to steer clear.

Posted by: prospectplacer at November 14, 2008 10:09 AM

slopefarm, dont be mad at me for lol'ing at the thought of you doing yoga and a raccoon sneaking up on you hahahahah.

-r

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 14, 2008 10:10 AM

I saw one digging through a tipped over garbage can outside my apartment a couple of weeks ago. It was adorable. I live near the Carlton Mews project, which I imagine a whole bunch have made their home.

Posted by: amt230 at November 14, 2008 10:12 AM

do they run away from people and dogs? is this something i should be worried about as a dog owner when im walking me and my roommates dogs?

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 14, 2008 10:16 AM

Yes, they are adorable but they can be very mean and nasty, especially when a baby is involved and their claws can tear your skin off. The possibility of rabies would just be an added bonus.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 14, 2008 10:17 AM

rob,

Not to worry. I figured anyone who met me at the Union Hall gathering is likely to have a bit of a chuckle, even without the raccoon. For the record, I took my practice indoors that day and need more than a few minutes to reestablish proper breathing.

Namaste

Posted by: slopefarm at November 14, 2008 10:27 AM

We had two adult and one baby racoon cross the backyard last year. And when we redid the roof, the racoon droppings were abundant. They are cute from afar but scary up close.

Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at November 14, 2008 10:29 AM

remember in Super Mario Brothers 3 for nintendo when mario could morph into a raccoon and fly? good times!

-rob

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 14, 2008 10:48 AM

Racoons are considered North America's most intelligent mammal, possibly on par with the grizzly bear. Human...can't vouch for them.

:-)

We were thinking of planting a persimmon which will automatically attract a possum apparently.

It's nice to have wildlife around as long as it doesn't bite. I wish we could have a mini-donk (in theory...in practice it would be a pain in the city). They're about the size of certain dogs. Oh, well! Probably better left to live on vanity farms.

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at November 14, 2008 10:49 AM

Sorry, I meant that racoons are supposedly just behind, if not on par, with grizzlies in intelligence. I don't know if they're smarter than humans...your thoughts? At least they seem smart managing to avoid paying rent or mortgage to live in "prime brownstone Brooklyn"!!!

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at November 14, 2008 10:53 AM

I saw one on Central Park West in September, just hangin' out. People were taking pictures of it with their camera phones.

Posted by: feetoffthetable at November 14, 2008 10:57 AM

There was a spate of raccoon sitings posted on the Boerum Hill egroup this summer.

Personally, I like raccoons for their unparalleled combination of cute appearance and nasty behavior, but you cannot deny they are pests. Behold the cute pack of raccoons scattering garbage near and far! Given the smorgasbord of garbage put out in uncovered cans thrice weekly, I'm surprised the City doesn't have more raccoons.

Posted by: Brooklyn Chicken at November 14, 2008 10:58 AM

quote:
At least they seem smart managing to avoid paying rent or mortgage to live in "prime brownstone Brooklyn"!!!


well so do half the people in the projects. (sorry poor taste joke but i couldnt resist)

-r

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 14, 2008 11:01 AM

Oh I've seen these guys in Clinton Hill years ago. But it was like 2 am.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 14, 2008 11:02 AM

Add Brooklyn Heights to the list. My landlord and I saw a monster of a raccoon twice within a week. Once up in a tree in front of 187 Hicks (corner of Pierrepont) and once in the backyard of our brownstone across the street.

Personally, I'm impressed that he got into the backyards -- there's only one entrance in the whole square block... unless you climb up and over one of the brownstones.


Peter
http://www.FlashlightWorthyBooks.com
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. ;)

Posted by: PeterSteinberg at November 14, 2008 11:07 AM

Raccoons are not any more dangerous than any other wild animal, cute as they are. For the most part, they'll amble off when they see you. Raccoons, while not exactly shy, will usually walk away or climb a tree unless they've been fed by some well-meaning idiot and associate humans with food. The park is loaded with them, as is GreenWood due to ample places to nest and a great food supply.

The ones to be concerned about are ones that act aggressive, confused, unsteady or way too interested in approaching you or other danger. That could be an indicator of rabies. They also can carry canine distemper and roundworm. Their poop can spread roundworm eggs in the soil so if you've seen them around, wear gloves while gardening (probably a good idea, anyway.) Keep pets away from them because they can get pissy with other animals.

They like to nest in chimneys and under porches and are hard to remove when they've got a nest started- a job for a professional only. Those claws are long and the rabies factor should dissuade you from live trapping them on your own and releasing them elsewhere. They are also not kind to gardens. They'll dig up stuff-bulbs, your lawn looking for grubs and they'll also steal any vegetables you grow. Don't leave your garbage open or leave pet food out after dark. this encourages them. It's not legal to just lay out poison (poisoning wildlife in NY is illegal) so a live and let live policy( with some steps of discouragement) is best.

Posted by: kensington gal at November 14, 2008 11:35 AM

I've seen a lot of them at dusk in Prospect Park, and up to 3 at a time, but that's probably the best place they could be. They usually seem to be making a run for it from one patch of woods to another.

Posted by: deen at November 14, 2008 11:39 AM

A family of raccoons lives under the seemingly abandoned boat parked in the lot by the car wash on 7th Ave/19th St. We live across the street and see them often after dark, one very large raccoon followed by 5 smaller ones, hanging out in the lot. Neighbors have seen them climbing fire escapes and on neighboring rooftops. They certainly get around.

Posted by: westpott at November 14, 2008 12:05 PM

They are in Crown Heights, too. There was a huge racoon in our backyard for most of the summer. I feed feral cats, and he was horning in on the kibble at night, so I stopped feeding the cats in the evening, as I was afraid of shredded kitties in my backyard. The cats were afraid of him, so they kept away.

I thought my large black cat had gotten out once at night, so I went out back to get him, and it turned out to be "Rocky". He was not afraid of me at all, and close up, those hands/paws are pretty indimidating, and I grew up in the country with all kinds of animals around, including racoons and possums. He must have weighed around 25 pounds, and he looked at me with a distinctive Brooklyn attitude, so I backed off. He then lit a cigarette, flipped me the bird, and waddled off.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 14, 2008 12:11 PM

Saw one in front of my house (southern clinton hill) last summer, and a neighbor a few doors down said they had 3 of them sitting on their fire escape in the back of their place...

Posted by: 1842 at November 14, 2008 12:11 PM

I had about twenty of them living in the one foot space behind my shop and the building behind me. They would cross 20th Street every night to go into the cemetery to get water. They make a huge mess of food garbage that the neighbors put out for collection. Come to find out- Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island have the densest raccoon population in NY State.

Posted by: southslope at November 14, 2008 12:13 PM

"My next door neighbor swears there is an opossum running around the wilds of the South Slope..."

The bf saw one sitting on somebody's stoop in Windsor Terrace.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at November 14, 2008 12:26 PM

We've had a racoon in our yard on the south slope/greenwood border all spring/summer-

It really likes our mulberry tree, and he seems to climb up there and eat berries all night. I think he has fights with the packs of stray cats that roam. This is a terrifying scuffle to hear at night.

Posted by: Park Place at November 14, 2008 12:42 PM

Saw one on the corner of State and Henry a while ago. Bloody thing was huge. After a night at the ale house think it scared me more than I scared it. Ran up State Street and hid under a car.

Not sure what the racoon did ;-)

Posted by: Johnny at November 14, 2008 12:54 PM

I've had run-ins with raccoons at least 3 times over the past year or so in Fort Greene, more or less around the park. Have had one run in front of me across Dekalb twice, and another exchange on St. Felix, also close to Dekalb. I'm imagining they live somewhere in the park?

Posted by: misterhaven at November 14, 2008 2:19 PM

I know two people that have had their iphones stolen by these pesky critters. Remember people, keep your guard up, be aware!

Posted by: The When at November 14, 2008 2:56 PM

I guess they don't wear masks for fashion, eh?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 14, 2008 6:09 PM

I saw 3 raccoons climbing up a fence several months ago on the corner of Fulton and Irving. They were the size of dogs

Posted by: gatesave at November 16, 2008 6:25 PM

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