If you have seen more raccoons around your neighborhood recently you are not alone. The raccoon population in some parts of Knoxville is up to three times as large as usual. Many are also infected with distemper.
Animal control officers in Knoxville say they see raccoons in all parts of town. On Tuesday night, they trapped five in one shift. Animal trappers say they also see pockets of raccoons infected with distemper in Anderson County.
"Right now we have a much higher population of raccoons than usual," said Paul Osborne with All Creatures Wildlife Services. "We should have somewhere around 3 raccoons to 5 raccoons per square kilometer. We’re seeing an excess or 15, sometimes in the 20s, especially in the urban areas."
The reason for the large population Osborne says is a lack of predators and an abundance of food. Illnesses like distemper can make raccoons act aggressively toward pets or humans.
"In a sick raccoon, you can start with the face. The eyes a lot of times will be gunky," said Osborne. "The animal is going to look unhealthy. The fur is going to look matted because the animal is not caring for itself properly."
The Knoxville Police Department Animal Control has also seen an uptick in raccoon related calls. Animal Control says it will come and trap any raccoons in the city. Outside of Knoxville, TWRA says they partner with trappers who will come get the animals for a fee.
"If you see a raccoon, put your animals up, call us, and we’ll come get it," said Rhonda Bender with KPD Animal Control. "We’ve picked them up downtown off of Jackson Street to the furthest part of the city. We’re getting them in shopping centers, neighborhoods."
So that next time your see one outside your home, it is best to let the experts come take care of it.
"Don’t pick it up," Bender said. "We’ve had so many people pick up the raccoon thinking it was a pet. It is not."