GALVESTON, Texas \u2013 If you\u2019ve spent any time on the east end of the Galveston Seawall lately, you\u2019ve probably seen them \u2014 raccoons hanging around, looking for handouts. They\u2019re bold, they\u2019re curious and, yes, they\u2019re cute. But officials say feeding them is creating a dangerous situation that\u2019s already put several people in harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n
Seven raccoon bites have been reported in just two weeks \u2014 and officials worry that may only reflect the cases people actually called in. Just one day before KPRC 2 visited the area, a city animal services supervisor counted 21 raccoons on that stretch of the Seawall \u2014 many of them congregating right between the signs telling people not to feed them.<\/p>\n
Josh Henderson, a supervisor with Galveston Animal Services, says the animals have completely lost their fear of people \u2014 and the reason is simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these snacks being delivered to the raccoons \u2014 whether it\u2019s cat food or your leftover McDonald\u2019s \u2014 is far outside of their normal diet,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cAnd because it\u2019s being offered in mass, they come to expect it. When I came out here yesterday morning, they\u2019re just lined up, coming right up. I had them chewing on my boots. Just begging. No fear. Zero fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
KPRC 2 witnessed the problem firsthand. A couple was spotted handing out food near the warning signs. When asked if they had seen the signs, they said they had just arrived and hadn\u2019t noticed them.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t a new problem. Henderson says the city has been dealing with it since last year, when warning signs were posted and nine raccoons were relocated in an effort to get things under control. <\/p>\n
The bigger concern is rabies. Raccoons are one of the animals most commonly known to carry the disease. But testing them isn\u2019t as simple as it sounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just a simple blood test,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cIt does involve euthanizing the animal in order to test. It doesn\u2019t seem the most humane approach to come out here and rabies test what would effectively only be a fraction of the population \u2014 because it\u2019s going to be impossible for us to say we absolutely got them all.\u201d<\/p>\n
So what should you do if a raccoon bites or scratches you? Dr. Philip Keiser, CEO of the Galveston County Local Health Authority, says don\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n
\u201cWash the wound right away \u2014 but then seek care. Don\u2019t wait days,\u201d Keiser said. \u201cYou\u2019ll get some injections in the wound which will neutralize it and then undergo a series of antibodies. The old way of getting rabies shots in the stomach \u2014 that\u2019s done. We don\u2019t do that anymore. We have very good vaccines that can be given intramuscularly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henderson says allowing this to go unchecked would be reckless. His goal is straightforward \u2014 educate the public, keep visitors safe and stop the raccoons from becoming dependent on handouts from people passing through.<\/p>\n
Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n
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