Are Brooklyn Raccoons Facing Shocks, Euthanization?

Original photo by Wally G

With raccoons biting ankles in Central Park and breaking in to apartments in Park Slope, some humans are beginning to declare war on the animals. For example, a Greenwood Heights woman and her husband have now installed an electric fence around their property, which they say is often invaded by the determined creatures.

According to the Brooklyn Paper, the McTague family noticed an increase of raccoon activity in their garden on 23rd Street between 6th and 7th avenues around the time the furry fiends murdered five of their koi fish! Tracey McTague told the paper, “They are very clever. They are like Moby Dick. If you are going to hate an animal, they should challenge your wits.”

The family is concerned about being overrun by the animals because they have a baby and a dog, and the raccoons can bring parasitic roundworms in to their yard. The electric fence they've installed is allegedly several times stronger and delivers more voltage than most that would deter a farm animal, because "coons are that much tougher." Which makes us wonder WTF is going to happen when a less tough animal crosses the line. As for the raccoons, they're crafty and have figured other ways to access the family's garden.

So when electric shocks don't work, what's the next step in the war against the raccoon? Aaron Brashear, a founding member of the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights, told the paper, “At this point, the city needs to step in. If euthanizing is a way to look at it, I don’t have such a big deal with that."

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By Jen Carlson in News on August 3, 2010 1:06 PM

Comments [rss]

Sirius

They only put the fence on at night, so just nocturnal raccoons get zapped, and it doesn't kill them, it is just a deterrent. I have touched it myself, and it is unpleasant but not deadly. Their motive was the Roundworms-which are no joke. And the raccoons pooping in their garden transmitted it to several people on this block who do co operative gardens. A young girl in Brooklyn went blind from roundworms just this year,and another child died. check out the article posted below. That is the only reason why they put up the fence. Not the koi.

(http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_...

blackpower

@ jimmylegs, i know what your trying to say, and me thinks your mother is an unwanted species

Matt Joyce

We wrote that whole second amendment piece into the constitution for this EXACT reason. Well that and fighting tyranny... but also the god damned raccoons. Woodchucks too.

Nyctini11

i hope they train their dog and kid to stay away from the cattle grade electrocuting fence

Iskra

THIS. I hope their kid and dog don't get fried by their super fence. Also, as pointed out in the article, other animals, like squirrels, are screwed. Isn't it illegal to kill squirrels? I hope they get fined.

jimmylegs

"coons are much tougher."

they're not talking about raccoons, methinks they're talking about another "unwanted species."

Angelheaded Hipster

...and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That raccoons receive, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. Raccoons die, they sleep;

but Felix will whine like a bitch: ay, there's the rub