Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Northeast Queens experiencing raccoon invasion


From WPIX:

This summer many Northern Queens residents are living with raccoons in their community that appear to feel comfortable roaming the streets in broad daylight.

Matt Ringler said 11 raccoons recently showed up at his parents’ backdoor in Bayside.

Little Neck Resident Joe Heslin described the raccoon population, “to say that there are 1,000 in this neighborhood would be underestimating it.”

Heslin told PIX11, “I’ve looked out the window and the mother’s been looking out the driveway and 3 or 4 little pups would be chewing my garbage and she’d look at me, I’d look at her, and the kids would keep chowing down, so they’re not afraid.”

“They’re not like other animals that see humans and run the other way, they can be very vicious,” said State Senator Tony Avella.

24 comments:

LibertyBoyNYC said...

“They’re not like other animals that see humans and run the other way, they can be very vicious,” said State Senator Tony Avella.

...wait a sec, is he talking about politicians or raccoons?

JQ said...

Don't trap the one by the citifield, it's turned out to be a lucky charm for the mets.

Anonymous said...

They're in Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, Bellerose Village as well. Cross Island Parkway and Jamaica avenue/Jericho Turnpike. Have been for a few years. Good pickings at night. Fresh trash.

Joe Moretti said...

And in Southeast Queens I live amongst criminals, gang-bangers, homeless people, ghetto slobs, third world immigrant slobs, dirty-filthy sub-humans, corrupt elected officials......................I will take the raccoons any day.

Also every think that because of garbage everywhere, open garbage cans without tight fitting lids, etc, there would be an increase of raccoons.

No matter what I will take the raccoons over the human dreck any day.

Anonymous said...

I saw a large raccoon casually sniffing around the sidewalk of Beverly Rd, Kew Gardens around lunchtime 2 weeks ago!

Anonymous said...

Racoons, and skunks, are a problem throughout Queens. Something has changed over the past 50 years as these critters were never spotted around here back then. I suspect it has to do with every inch of land being developed and the use of plastic garbage bags instead of metal cans. Take away the food source and they will go away or die out. BTW a call to 911 is useless as their attitude is prove it is rabid. Best bet is get out the pellet gun.

Anonymous said...

Fresh Meadows development has many. Trapping does no good.

Anonymous said...

Make 'em community board members!

Anonymous said...

"Make 'em community board members!"

There are several skunks on the CB#7 board already!

Anonymous said...

This is new? We've had raccoons in bayside for many many years. They go into my backyard and fight with the stray cats and they wake me up at night. I had a cat 25 years ago that ran off and when she returned, she had a big bite in the back of her leg. After that we had to put her down because she got leukemia after that bite.
I even see a dead ones in the street sometimes. We also have a lot of possums living here too. If you keep cutting down their homes, they will make your neighborhood their homes.

Anonymous said...

Racoons are mean and nasty. I've never encountered any other species that goes out of it's way to mock and antagonize humans.

Anonymous said...

momma just chase em off with a broom

Gary the Agnostic said...

Liberty Boy - I'd say both.

LibertyBoyNYC said...

I'd vote for a raccoon.

Anonymous said...

Politicians can be very vicious too!
Remember, a rabid politician can be fatal to his
constituents.

Anonymous said...

There are more developers overrunning northeast Queens than Racoons.
What has been done about them? Not much.
It must be a slow business day up in Albany to zero in on northeast Queens' "wildlife invasion".

Jackie Gleason said...

I protest!
Me and Norton have been upstanding members of the Racoon Lodge for years.
Alice and Trixie also protest.

Anonymous said...

The problem is that once offending raccoons are captured the raccoons cannot be legally put down, they have to be released. Raccoons are more protected than dogs and cats. Avella should sponsor legislation removing the protections afforded to raccoons by law.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Joe Moretti - raccoons are a welcome respite from the many, many assholes living in Flooshing! They're much cuter when they take a shit in public! And they don't spit or blow their cute little noses directly onto the pavement!

Anonymous said...

They inhabit local subway yards as well,along with numerous cats.cant the city do aspay and release onall these poor creatures????

Jerry Rotondi said...

I had a mother birth three baby Racoons under my crawl space.
I saw no signs of her being rabid. After contacting the Bronx Zoo , I got some good advice.
Let her be but do not feed her or she will come back for more.

Eventually, she passed within two feet of me carrying each baby, in turn, by their necks, like kittens. We sort of looked at each other calmly and knew it was OK.
Then she relocated them elsewhere. When I reported this to my fearful neighbors they all concluded, "Ah, she's a mommy" not to worry anymore about a "rabid" Racoon seen in daylight.

Overall, I felt it was a pleasant privilege to have mamma's trust. It was a good encounter.
But any weirdly behaving Racoon should be reported.

Be sure to cover and secure your trash cans. No food. No visits.
But they seem to know garbage collection days. They are crafty critters.

Anonymous said...

Tony is blowing one of his loud horns again. Next thing you know he will be wearing a Coon skin hat like Davy Crockett.
Albany must be boring to the Senator. Having to look at Toby Stavisky all day must be unraveling Avella more than we think.
Gag! A Racoon has more brains and is better looking than those squeezed out horse's ass. Moby Stavisky...
Thar she blows! Harpooneer...get ye aloft! Ugh....leave her be. Who wants to deal with all that blubber. Cut her loose, me shipmates.

Anonymous said...

You all don't seem to get it b/c you probably live in apartments. The raccoons climb to the roofs of low rise structures like residential houses and rip holes in the roofs in order to live and breed in attics and roof spaces. Homeowners have to hire exterminators to trap the raccoons live. The raccoons then have to be released alive somewhere else where they just become another Queens homeowner's problem.

Pinky said...

8/24/15-I live in Whitestone. We have very little crime. I have lived in Hells Kitchen in Manhattan which was mad fun and Red Hook Brooklyn which was not fun! Whitestone is pretty quiet but I think I can deal with crime easier than scary raccoons! Last night around 4am I( I have dog hearing been told by doctors) So not sure where this was maybe a few blocks away I heard a cat being mauled by a racoon. There was large group of large racoons roaming around when we went home.
The poor cat it was horrifying! I know it was not a cat fight and it lasted so long! The poor cat was screaming for help!
I do not know what I could have done. I am terrified of them. They are so big and just do as they please. I prayed for the cat I dont know what else I could have done. What can we do? It was horrifying! I will never forget it!