This email caught our attention for two reasons: A Prospect Park raccoon biting someone and “very aggressive” ducks and geese. Here’s what it says:
My family and I were feeding the ducks & geese yesterday afternoon at the lake near the Vanderbilt entrance (something we won’t do again because they got very aggressive) and saw a raccoon moseying around in plain sight. I was disturbed that people were not moving away from it and was explaining to my son that there must be something wrong with the animal if it dares to walk around where people were. At the time it was crossing under a log where a woman was sitting with her family. I turned away momentarily, when the woman starts screaming, jumps up and I see the husband pulling the animal off her. The raccoon had bitten her on her upper thigh.
Later I spoke with a fellow who was closer to the incident and he told me that the police had arrived shortly after we left and that he had urged the woman to go to the hospital.
Ah, urban nature.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Sep 5, 2007 at 7:12 am
I live in Forest Hills, North of Queens Blvd. Racoons are pretty common around here, but they rarely walk around in daylight… you can see them crossing the street at night sometimes.
If the racoon was walking in daylight, around people, and bit a woman, odds are the racoon was rabid.
If I was that woman, I would go get rabies shots.
2 Anonymous // Sep 5, 2007 at 7:31 am
we used to have raccoons all the time in norwalk connecticut but rabies damn near wiped them out. Sounds like it moved to the city finally.
3 icky // Sep 5, 2007 at 7:59 am
Imagine, wild animals out in nature. How offensive that must have been for those poor people.
Okay, okay. The racoon probably had something wrong with it and for that I sympathise. (I got chased and bit by a crazy squirrel once.) Wouldn’t want anyone to get sick. But, they’re not people, ya know. They are not “trained.” They’re not even pets. They’re wild animals. You wanted nature? You got it.
Besides, the picture of someone being chased by a goose is funny no matter who is involved.
4 Anonymous // Sep 5, 2007 at 10:20 am
icky said: Besides, the picture of someone being chased by a goose is funny no matter who is involved.
Man…LOL I have to agree with you on that
5 hellx // Sep 5, 2007 at 10:54 am
At this rate, pretty soon we’re going to see stories like this one coming out of Williamsburg.
6 Anonymous // Sep 6, 2007 at 2:11 pm
For several years, The Center for Disease Control, New York State’s department of health and NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have been “alerting” the public about the sharp increase in incidents of rabies in NYC. Just do a search for “Rabies AND “New York City””. Ignoring the obvious could cause that woman her life.
It also makes me wonder why the health department thinks it’s a good idea to unleash dogs in city parks. Population control?
7 Anonymous // Sep 8, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Its true about the geese. THe ducks are fine though. I”ve fed them several times, the geese will just get closer and closer and completely surround you and then start making grabs at your bread bag. Its very intimidating. Go give it a shot. Now when I go I make sure to find an area where there are no geese around.