ES

All you neede
to know about |
pesky raccoons —

This column was submitted by Lynn Canyon Ecology Cen-
. tre naturalist Kevin Bell. For a listing of upcoming ecology

centre events, see page 21.

APART FROM that most danger-
ous of all mammals, Homo sa-
piens, Lynn Valley is home to over
’- 38 species of mammals.

Most of these are small, rarely
seen shrews, voles, mice, rats and
bats. Your cat may be an expert at
catching these and presenting them

.to you on the kitchen floor for.
your inspection. Of ‘all the local
mammals, however, the intelligent
raccoon prompts the most en-
quiries at the Lynn Canyon
Ecology Centre.

Why aren't raccoons afraid of
humans? ~

For thousands: of years, these
masked relatives of pandas and
bears have interacted with people.

Raccoons enjoyed left-overs at
Amerindian middens, and Indian
children kept young raccoons as
pets until the animals were old
enough to breed.

This relationship with humans

‘has developed to the point where
mother raccoons teach their young
how to get food from humans by
begging, knocking on windows and
performing tricks.

Don’t be fooled into thinking
that raccoons make good pets —
they bite. Never feed, touch or
corner a raccoon.

Why do raccoons fight with cats
and dogs?

When raccoons find food, they
decide it is theirs no matter where
it is.

A dog or cat may try to defend
its food, but a raccoon won’t back
down. Smart cats and dogs will iet
it eat their food. To avoid these
confrontations, don’t put pet food
outside. where raccoons, rats,
skunks or coyotes will be attracted
to it.

How can I keep raccoons out of
my garden and new lawn?

The only way to stop raccoons

with a very good fence that has

one or two. ‘‘hot’? wires from an -

electric fence charger at the top of
it. pe .
This will also protect  ‘‘roll-
down”? sod lawns. This sort of
lawn attracts many types of in-
sects, worms and sow bugs, whicn

raccoons enjoy. In our area,.a.

needed |

Cet

seed-sown lawn is the easiest way -.°

to prevent this situation.
Raccoons often push my gar-
bage can over. What can I do?
Animals love smelly garbage.
Keep your garbage can clean by

placing garbage in plastic bags. .
Secure a tight fitting lid with rub-.

ber straps and hooks.

If you compost, make sure your
compost bin is well constructed
and never add bones, fat or other
meat wastes.

How can I stop raccoons from

- eating the fish in my pond?

Ornamental fish ponds should
be constructed with a sloping ledge
projecting out over a deep under-
water zone where the fish can hide
from herons, kingfishers and rac-
coons.

Wire screening can be fixed over
the pond, but does not look very
attractive.

How can I keep raccoons out of
my attic and crawl space?

Raccoons usually make — their
dens in. holes in old trees, but in
suburban areas rotten trees are in
short supply.

To prevent raccoons from using _

your attic as a den, remove all
over-hanging trees or other ways to
climb up. Crawl spaces must be
well walled-up. If the raccoon con-
tinues to visit, try installing a
strobe light in the space. —

If you have any questions about
raccoons or other wildlife, contact
the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre

Hipp a
a a }
: li !
i fi Ved

THE RACCOON is an
all-too-familiar sight
around Lynn Yalley
backyards and garbage
cans. The drawing above
is by Debbie Duncan, the
Lynn Canyon Ecology.
Centre designer for the

‘past {wo years.

~ 17 - Sunday, August 28, 1988 - Lynn Valley Echo a

7 ‘
My nie aly

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