Letter: Erie needs to deal with the raccoons

Erie Times-News

For many years, raccoon families have taken up residence in the city of Erie's sewer system. Every spring, at least one mother and babies emerges from one of four corner sewers at the public edge of my property, often seen at dusk entering the undergrowth beneath my hedges leading to the crawl space under my porch.

Raccoons range in length from 28 to 38 inches, which includes a 10-inch tail, and weigh 10 to 30 pounds, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Males are generally larger and heavier than females. Records exist of raccoons weighing up to 40 pounds. However, individuals this heavy are extremely rare in the wild.

This spring, however, I believe they have become a nuisance and a potential threat. Last week, I heard shrill screaming outside my house in the middle of the day. When I looked, I saw a white vehicle stopped, heading east on West 22nd Street, dealing with a mother raccoon and possibly two babies — in the road — screaming. After the car had driven off, I watched the mother chase after one of them, snatch it by the scruff, and drag it back into the sewer. Twice more, they could be heard screaming, as recently as yesterday — again, during the day. My research indicates that, when raccoons are out during daylight, making strange sounds, this is evidence of rabies.

When I call the police department, I am told that there is no longer an animal control department run by the city. I am instructed to call a wildlife expert. When I do, I discover that I must pay him to set traps on my property. When these traps catch feral cats instead of raccoons, how does this solve the raccoon problem and, most importantly, why are the citizens of Erie expected to foot the bill?

Ruth Ann Scanzillo, Erie