14 responses so far ↓

• 1 Ellen // Jun 9, 2008 at 2:28 pm

  Just to let you know, we regularly see racoons in Ditmas Park

• 2 Meem // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:20 pm

  We’ve seen raccoons in Carroll Gardens for at least the past couple of years. Most recently at around 11:00 pm in my front yard on President St. Two passersby called police who followed it to my yard, but it got away.

• 3 bklynbutterfly // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:31 pm

  A racoon or racoons have been spotted in the backyards of Sterling Pl. in Park Slope as well. Only at night though. It’s kind of nice to have such a variety of nature in Bklyn. I have lots of suburban friends with racoons around and they do try to get into the garbage and look for food. They may even crawl up on the deck and peek into the windows. Once, one actually entered the house and ate a pie while the cat watched. Definitely keep the garbage and grills covered but be happy we have something other than rats and pigeons around here.

• 4 sj // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:53 pm

  My wife and I saw a Racoon late one night last week on 4th Place, between Clinton and Henry. We were sitting out back late, after 11pm, and we saw it crawl down the fire escape from the roof of our neighbors ground floor extension. Then it wandered off into the night.

• 5 hBomB // Jun 9, 2008 at 4:17 pm

  funny how dramatic people seem to get about racoons. What is up with that?? I grew up with them wandering all over my neighborhood and never gave them a second thought. and this was the 70s when rabies was much more prevalent. I love that we have them in the neighborhood! We need more wildlife! I’m holding out for foxes, skunks and salamanders in Prospect Park.

• 6 evie // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:22 pm

  I see raccoons in my part of Brooklyn all the time, too…however, I’ve never seen them barbecuing as this email would suggest. And also, um, if there was a “rabie” outbreak in Brooklyn raccoons, don’t ya think the health dept would be all over that?

• 7 p // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:33 pm

  There is a Raccoon named Dave living on Summit St by the Gowanus Nursery. He’s a nice fella comes out at night and is really scared of you. So unless you mess with Dave there is nothing to fear. Sadly Dave and his sort don’t understand property and all that. He just wants to have his dinner and get back to his nap.

• 8 fishdude // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:40 pm

  There are raccoons making quite a nice home in 333 Carroll.

• 9 woodendesigner // Jun 10, 2008 at 6:29 am

  I saw a very large dead one on the 3rd street bridge going over the Gowanus. I have never seen one in the neighborhood and I was a little surprised to see one. I don’t mind them as long as they stay outside.

• 10 David B // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:54 pm

  I live on that block on Second Place in a second floor apartment. Two years ago we heard a really strange noise on our deck. Upon inspection we found two very large racoons having a great time. At the time I couldn’t figure out how they got up to the second floor but now that I know they can climb it all makes sense. They kept coming back three or four nights in a row and I was starting to fear for the safety of my cats, so eventually we had to get a professional to trap them in one of those humane cages so they could be set free again in the wild.

• 11 Xris (Flatbush Gardener) // Jun 10, 2008 at 6:33 pm

  We love our Brooklyn raccoons!

  They are annual visitors to our backyard. And our kitchen on the second floor. They climbed my neighbor’s apple tree to get there. They don’t scale building walls, they climb trees and other structures.

  They’re scavengers, looking for easy grub. Don’t leave pet food outside. Don’t feed stray and feral cats and dogs. Keep garbage cans and compost bins and piles covered.

  As for rabies, Brooklyn is the best off of all the five boroughs, with only 5 animal cases detected in the past 15 years; the most recent, in 2005, was a bat. Rabies is endemic in the Bronx and Staten Island.

  Here’s the DOH page on rabies:
  http://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab.shtml

• 12 Josh // Jun 29, 2008 at 10:14 am

  I live on Van Brunt St. in Red Hook. My garden and basement have been visited by a raccoon frequently for the last couple of months. I determined the slight garden damage and feral cat feeding station damage was caused by a raccoon from the tracks left behind. This morning I saw it for the first time and could not determine its gender. I assume it is the same animal that has been seen on Summit Street. It is definitely not rabid – it is behaving normally and has not been around during daylight hours. It also is not a threat to cats – when I saw it this morning it walked right by the feral who lives in my garden, and they just glanced at one another and granted free passage. PLEASE BE TOLERANT OF THIS ANIMAL. It lives a stressful life in an unfriendly environment.

• 13 william // Oct 31, 2009 at 8:24 pm

  10-29-2009 I saw a racoon when i was walking to work at five in morning on bond street before i make a right to go up pacific street . It saw me ran up the tree . Then it came down when i was far away . I think its cool nothing to be worried about.I think we should worry more about the criminals.Peace to the racoons

• 14 Angela // Dec 10, 2009 at 4:21 pm

  I saw what I can only assume was a raccoon last night (12/9) at 2am coming ’round the corner at Franks on Smith and 2nd St in Carroll Gardens.

  It was as tall as my knee but as fat as a sheep. Unbelievable!

  It was pretty scared of me – and likewise. I’ve never seen one so big before. It was like a dog (but, for all you smarty-pants, it was not a dog..)

  I wish I’d had a camera on me. It must be one of the biggest raccoons around.

  Its markings were subtle, not the traditional deep black eyes, but rather browns and tans. I’d hate to accidentally corner a raccoon that large, I think he’d do some real damage.