Surely raccoons are adorable? It’s difficult to resist falling in love with them because of their lovely little hands and inquisitive faces. Even though we adore these cunning animals, it turns out that feeding them is seriously harming them, and the reason for this is that we are interfering with their innate impulses.
Why Are Raccoons Out in the Daytime?
It’s not your imagination if you’ve been seeing raccoons in Texas during the day. Because people have been giving them human food, such as cookies, chips, and even bottled water, these typically nocturnal animals have started to appear in the middle of the day.
Raccoons typically search for food on their own at night while hunting and foraging. However, when people feed them, they stop looking for their normal meals and instead begin to expect snacks. And that’s forming some quite risky behaviors.
The Problem with Feeding Raccoons
According to Texas wildlife experts, feeding these creatures is making them less fearful of people. Although it may appear amusing, some raccoons are even pursuing humans who are carrying food, which is an issue.
Being wild creatures, raccoons are more likely to spread diseases like rabies when they get overly at ease in human environments. Even no nobody has been harmed yet, it’s a dangerous situation for both us and the raccoons.
What s Being Done to Fix It?
Wildlife officials are removing some of the more aggressive raccoons from parks and neighborhoods in an effort to address the problem. After being transferred to specialized sanctuaries, these animals go through a re-wilding procedure that teaches them how to live independently once more. The raccoons are then returned to their natural habitat, where they are a part of the ecosystem.
Therefore, keep in mind not to feed raccoons the next time you see them in a park. Leave the raccoons alone and keep your distance.
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