WHAT TO DO WITH RACCOONS AND OTHER URBAN WILDLIFE

From the office of Brad Lander, our New York City Councilmember:

Hello,

As you may have heard, a dead raccoon found in Prospect Park on December 2^nd tested positive for rabies. Earlier this year, a raccoon in Fort Greene Park also tested positive for rabies. The Department of Health has assured us that enhanced rabies surveillance is being conducted in Prospect and Fort Greene Parks; including testing of all sick, injured and dead raccoons. These results will help determine if the two rabid raccoons found were isolated incidents of rabies or represent a larger transmission of raccoon rabies in Brooklyn.

Below are some tips from the Health Department on keeping yourself and your pets safe from raccoons. I also wanted to make you aware that in partnership with the Humane Society and Windsor Terrace Alliance, our office will be hosting a workshop to educate home owners on how to safely contend with Brooklyn’s raccoon population. Please see below for more information on the workshop.

How to Resolve Common Urban Wildlife Problems:  Effective and Humane Solutions for NYC Residents

Having problems with raccoons, squirrels, opossums, pigeons or other urban wildlife? Some wild animals are both adaptive and opportunistic, which allows them to survive quite well in NYC despite the close proximity to people.  However, conflicts can develop when urban dwellers and wildlife try to live within the same landscape. Led by a wildlife expert from The Humane Society of the United States, this 3-hour interactive workshop will focus on practical, effective and long-term solutions to common urban wildlife problems.

Please save the date of Saturday, January 22^nd if you are interested in taking part in this workshop. We will be in touch with more information in the New Year.

Pet Safety Tips from the Department of Health:

• Avoid contact with wild animals.
• Make sure dogs and cats are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations.
• Don’t feed wildlife and feed pets indoors.
• Avoid leaving pets outdoors unattended.
• Avoid trying to separate animals that are fighting.
• Contact your veterinarian if your pet has been in contact with an animal that might be rabid.

Protect yourself:

• Don’t touch or feed wild animals, stray dogs or cats.
• Stay away from any animal that is behaving aggressively and any wild animal that appears ill or is acting unusually friendly. Call 311 or your local precinct to report the animal.
• If you find a bat indoors that may have had contact with someone, don’t release it before calling 311 to determine whether it should be tested. For information on how to safely capture a bat, visit URL http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/
• Seal any enclosure that may give wildlife access to a residence.
• Keep trash indoors or in rodent-resistant waste containers with locking lids.  

If you are bitten by an animal:

• Immediately wash the wound with lots of soap and water.
• Seek medical care from your health care provider.
• If you know where the animal is, call 311 to have it captured.
• If the animal is a pet, get the owner’s name, address and telephone number to give to the Health Department so they can ensure the animal is not rabid.
• Call the City’s Animal Bite Unit (212-676-2483) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or file a report online at www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vet/vetegp.shtml.
• For information about medical follow-up, call 311 or your medical provider.

Jessica Turner

Community Liaison

Office of Councilmember Brad Lander

39th Council District

456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11215

718.499.1090 office

718.499.1997 fax

jturner [at] council.nyc.gov

Serving the neighborhoods of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park and Kensington.