Raccoons are just like typical New Yorkers. They’re scrappy, they know where to find the best food and can put down roots almost anywhere in the city. And we need to learn how to live with them.
WildlifeNYC’s latest campaign spotlights the furry masked bandits in order to help NYC residents navigate the urban wildlife around them.
“Our city is home to millions of people, and also millions of wild animals,” said New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “We want New Yorkers to live in harmony with the more than 600 species who share our city.”
The campaign, which launched in October with a series of posters, billboards and banners, focused initially on deer. The population of deer in Staten Island is so large that the city has embarked on a humane sterilization program. In addition to deer, several wily coyote sightings have caught city-dwellers by surprise.
This week the campaign is expanding to include raccoons, as well as red-tailed hawks and piping plovers. Along with updating signage, WildlifeNYC will update its website to include instructions on how to handle a wildlife encounter and how to report it. The site will also feature simple tips on how to keep hungry, curious critters at bay. (Hint: Don’t let your trash can turn into a smorgasbord for raccoons.)
Licensed wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath, who is also a city firefighter, said the most important thing to do is look but don’t touch or feed the animals.
“These are wild animals and they should be enjoyed from a distance,” he said. “Sometime well intentioned people do more harm than good.”
