Texas Wants You to Quit Feeding Raccoons

I'll be the first to admit that raccoons are cute little suckers. I love their human-like hands! But they are rodents, they are wild animals, and apparently, we humans are messing with their natural instincts. What a surprise.

If you’ve been spotting raccoons out and about in Texas during the day, you’re not imagining things. These animals are usually only active at night, but lately, they’ve been showing up in broad daylight, and it’s mostly because people keep feeding them.

Canva

Texas Wants You to Quit Feeding Raccoons

Texas wildlife officials say that feeding raccoons human food like cookies, chips, and even bottled water is messing with their natural behavior. Instead of hunting for food like they’re supposed to, the raccoons are getting used to just walking up to people and expecting snacks.

Some of these raccoons have gotten so bold that they’ve started following people who are holding food. That might seem funny or even cute, but it’s actually a problem. These wild animals are losing their fear of humans, which can be dangerous for both sides. Raccoons can carry diseases like rabies, and while no one’s been hurt so far, officials say it’s not worth the risk.

Get our free mobile app

To help fix the problem, wildlife workers have already taken several raccoons from neighborhoods and parks. They’re sending them to special sanctuaries where the animals will go through a “re-wilding” process, which is basically teaching them how to survive on their own again. After that, the raccoons will be released back into the wild where they belong.

So next time you’re at a park and a raccoon comes wandering up, don’t hand it your Cheetos. Keep your distance and let it be wild!