Raccoons: A Growing Problem in Growing Cities

As cities and towns expand, many are noticing the expansion of wild animals in the urban/outdoors interface.  A great example of this is in the town of Bozeman, Montana, a growing area with a growing raccoon problem.  A recent Bozeman Daily Chronicle article highlights the raccoon issue with input from two local animal damage control trappers who deal with raccoons regularly.

Raccoons: They’re on the rise in the valley, animal services workers like Stoner say, wreaking havoc on gardens, chicken coops and homes across Bozeman.

The rise of the raccoon has been a gradual one, said Phil Hettinger with TC 1 Wildlife in Bozeman. He had to think back 40 years to remember a time when one never saw the creature in the Gallatin Valley.

But the recent building boom had a way of accelerating the raccoon’s expansion.

Read the full story here.