A Moose, a Bear, and Now This
Gossips learned today that, earlier this week, a rabid skunk was spotted in the vicinity of Partition Street and East Allen Street. It was shot by police in the backyard of a house on East Allen Street.
Skunks are nocturnal animals, but they are sometimes active during the day. Sighting a skunk in the daytime does not necessarily mean the skunk is rabid. You should be wary, however, and call the police if you see a skunk that is staggering, wandering aimlessly, shaking, or foaming at the mouth.
COPYRIGHT 2019 CAROLE OSTERINK
In the event this is more widespread than anyone realizes, it wouldn't hurt for the City to have some sort of response plan at the ready.
ReplyDeleteThere is a raccoon roaming around the backyard of houses on the 500 block of Union Street. This is a serious problem, because raccoons are the vector for a deadly neurological disease named baylisascaris, as well as rabies and leptospirosis.
ReplyDeleteSince this is a public health issue, I notified City Hall and the county health department. Neither entity offered any assistance, and the health department suggested that I hire someone to trap the animal.
It is hard to understand why neither the city nor the health department have the resources to capture the raccoon. In the meantime, I suggest that people stop putting out cat food for feral cats, because they are attracting wild animals like skunks and raccoons, which eat the cat food, to the city.
Several days ago I observed a disoriented squirrel in the 1st Ward, but the best I could get from anyone local was "call the DEC." That's not good enough.
Delete