Raccoons have been slowly taking over the city for years now—they're in our libraries, they're in our brownstones, they're shopping at John Varvatos, and perhaps the most unsettling and transparent in their mission to take over humankind: they've invaded City Hall. And now some new footage from Joey Boots shows that they're no longer scared of humans, either—check out what happened last night in the Bronx: more ›

Boy howdy, the city really just does not know what to do with raccoons. It was almost a year ago that legislators first proposed a bill asking the city to trap errant raccoons, and today, they're still pushing. more ›

Raccoons: when they're not breaking into Brooklyn brownstones, they're... breaking into Brooklyn brownstones. Previously it was unknown what they wanted in these brownstones: organic food from the Co-op? A copy of Freedom? But in light of a recent incident, we can say with confidence that these raccoons are after the cats. more ›

If you have a raccoon breaking in to your brownstone (like some folks in Park Slope), then soon you may just be able to call on the city to take care of it. A new bill unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley places responsibility on the city to trap raccoons in the five boroughs. All a concerned citizen needs to do is ask! But what will the big bad Department of Health do with the creatures once they're caught? According to the Daily News they'll be encouraged to humanely release them. more ›

Remember that raccoon that broke into a Park Slope brownstone only to stumble upon death in a silverware drawer whilst trying to navigate the kitchen? Well, one woman that resides there just sent us along this video, saying, "My cousin Toby, her 2-year old daughter Cleo and I share the 3rd and 4th floor of the brownstone where the poor little guy got trapped in the silverware drawer. Thought you might be interested to know the raccoon caper continues. Last night 2 more raccoons attempted to break in and we caught them on video!" Maybe they were looking for their friend? more ›

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. more ›

Raccoons are either preparing for some kind of animal takeover of the human race (what else were they in the library for), or they just really want our cereal and prime Brooklyn real estate. Either way, this story might put the fear in some Brownstone-dwellers. A FIPS reader sent in this photo with an equally crazy story; head over here for the full tale, but to summarize: the raccoon is calling from inside the building! more ›

It isn't surprising that a raccoon was discovered inside of the Brooklyn Public Library, it was probably trying to escape certain death in Prospect Park! WNYC reports that the animal was recently spotted in the basement by the library's maintenance crew, and the area has been shut down to staff since Friday. Since that time, Animal Care and Control has come in, and the library brought in a private pest service to put down traps, but the little guy hasn't been seen since! more ›

Just as the Parks Department publicly pat themselves on the back for practically ridding the city of rabid raccoons, a woman who was recently bit by a raccoon comes forward. Going by the name Elly, she told her story to Daily Intel. more ›

Back in December the Bad Old Days had returned in Central Park, but this time it wasn't the threat of man that concerned locals, it was animal! The number of rabid raccoons had gotten out of control, and an official warning was put out by the Department of Health. And since the city's population isn't foaming at the mouth now, we can only assume that we dodged some I Am Legend style outbreak, right? Right! According to the Daily News, the vaccination program the DoH instituted may have just worked. more ›

The Co-Op City building workers strike continues, and residents are continuing to voice their concerns over the huge piles of garbage that could attract unwanted furry creatures. CBS 2 visited the scene, deeming it a "stinky mess" since the huge Bronx housing complex creates about, oh, 40 tons of garbage a day. more ›

Move over rabid raccoons, there's a new four-legged fiend terrorizing Brooklynites! After we mentioned a opossum sighting in Cobble Hill yesterday, Courier-Life has found out that opossums have been attacking the borough's gardens, dogs, and teenage girls! more ›

The raccoons in Manhattan must have heard about the vaccination traps set up in Central Park, because they're on the move to Brooklyn! Well, at least one rabid raccoon was discovered in the borough—the Department of Health confirmed this week that they captured one in Boerum Hill. more ›

Did the coyote and bald eagle sightings keep you from thinking about all of those rabid raccoons roaming around Central Park? Well, they're still there—however, the city plans to vaccinate all Upper Manhattan raccoons against rabies so that we don't get some sort of I Am Legend/Cujo hybrid scenario on our hands. more ›

Back in December the Department of Health issued an alert regarding rabid raccoons taking over Central Park. Their warning stemmed from having serious intel on at least three rabid raccoons in the area. They warned New Yorkers to stay away from any raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats—because the rabies could be spreading and we'd pretty much be looking at an I Am Legend scale outbreak if it crossed over to humans. (The last human case of rabies in the city was back in 1953.) more ›

Yesterday afternoon we received an alert from the Department of Health regarding rabid raccoons taking over Central Park! Dun dun dun. They have officially issued a warning, and tell us there are three raccoons (so far!) identified as being rabid — one in recent months, and the other two in the past week... which means it's spreading quicker than you can say Cujo. more ›

The Department of Health has just issued a warning stating that six rabid raccoons have been found in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx in recent weeks. As such, the DoH warns us all to stay away from not only the black-eyed beasts, but also skunks, bats, stray dogs, stray cats and other wild animals. more ›

If swine flu has taught us anything, it's confirmed our longstanding rejection of pigs as disgusting, immoral creatures who should be kept in their enclosed pens at all costs. But adorable, style-influencing raccoons who live peacefully among us, snacking on our garbage and mysteriously leaving footprints on our cars overnight should be nothing to worry about, right? Not so says the Daily News! The paper reports on Raccoon Ringworm, the latest "rare, deadly disease" spreading itself through the area. Thus far an infant has suffered brain damage (in October), a Brooklyn teen been blinded (in January) annnnnd...well, that's it. The disease is contracted by consumption of infected raccoon feces. One mother tells the News, "When they're slightly out of sight, they're going to pick up something in the course of their normal behavior and put their filthy hands in their mouths." A reader tipped us off that it's actually worm, which the CDC suggests can be avoided by not adopting raccoons. more ›

Human intruders aren't the only worry amongst New Yorkers--now wildlife is encroaching upon residences throughout the city, especially in Brooklyn. Many blogs have been reporting neighborhood sightings, and now the NY Times jumps in with a look at raccoons paying visits to human neighbors. more ›

Glowing eyes peering down from trees and from behind gravestones, the night creatures are disrupting the eternal sleep of the dead and driving the living to distraction. Raccoons have proliferated at the famous Green-Wood Cemetery, digging up the grass over graves, eating the flowers left by mourners, and even invading crypts to scavenge for food. more ›