Woman experiences invasion in her garden: "They invited their friends"
USA - More than 100 raccoons have invaded the garden of a Washington state woman after she had been feeding them for three decades.
The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office told Fox News that hundreds of raccoons had taken over the elderly woman's yard.
The lady had been feeding the animals for more than 30 years, and word had apparently spread among the local population.
She reported the invasion by telephone. Police officers then came to her house.
"The woman told us the raccoons must have started inviting friends over," said Kitsap County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Kevin McCarty.
McCarty said the woman did not report any damage to her property, but the raccoons gradually began scratching at her house and harassing her.
"Every time she comes out of the house, they swarm her until she throws them food. The regular raccoons she feeds are nice, but the new ones that show up scare her," McCarty said.
Feeding wild animals should be avoided
McCarty urged people not to feed wild animals, no matter how cute they are or how much they beg.
"Raccoons are wild animals - and feeding them can be unhealthy for them. Accumulating large numbers of raccoons can also spread disease among the animals," he said.
Raccoons can also be aggressive, so it's advisable to give them space and let them find food and shelter on their own in the wild, he added.
The woman was referred to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, which will now help her find a solution to her problem.
The agency said its wildlife conflict specialist was trying to contact the resident to give her expert advice about the many animals.