Neighborhood raccoons need rabies protection
Recently, I read that North Carolina is going to put out bait with rabies vaccine in it in some state parks. I wish the state would make this same bait available to people to buy for their neighborhoods.
I, for one, would be happy to buy it and put it in my backyard and also in the park in our neighborhood in order that the raccoons in our neighborhood would not have rabies. My guess is that a lot of people would be willing to pay a little for some bait to help keep their neighborhood safer.
Lucy Austin
Greensboro
Comments (8)
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Just as I suspected.
The Raccoon Lobby has finally come out into the open and taken the first step in their avowed quest for free healthcare.
Today they're asking for rabies vaccines under the specious banner of it being for the public good, but once we start down that slippery slope we'll eventually find ourselves supplying them with moist towelettes to save them trips to the creek.
Trust me on this, I've been to the meetings.
Posted on August 4, 2006 5:29 AM
What's up with all the rabid animals lately?
There's been county reports of rabid skunks, coons, bats and coyotes this year, in what seems like larger numbers than usual.
Posted on August 4, 2006 9:16 AM
Hugh,
What's crazy to me is that we've got coyotes in this area. Never heard about them in this area before this year.
I have thought recently about the rabies in bats. Mainly, I was considering getting some bats to eat all those mosquitos in my neighborhood. But I didn't want to deal with the rabies scare. My thinking moved towards what if they gave rabies and racoons rabies vaccinations.
Perhaps rabies is a way to thin the bat colonies. Without rabies, would bats or raccoons over-run us? Might be something to think about before vaccinating all of them.
Posted on August 4, 2006 10:11 AM
Should have read "what if they gave bats and racoons rabies vaccinations?"
Posted on August 4, 2006 10:12 AM
nitpicker-
fwiw there have been coyotes around here for more than a few years. I used to fox hunt (on horseback with hounds, we never kill the foxes for anyone that's worried about that) and the hounds would strike on coyote lines sometimes. When foxes disappear coyotes move in. We've seen them out in the McLeansville area, but boy are they shy. The foxes will regard you intently sometimes before leaving off, but those coyotes are outta here.
As for the rabies...it's always here. Folks just need to be more diligent about keeping their domestic animals vaccinated. We vaccinate EVERYTHING on the farm that can be - horses included.
Posted on August 4, 2006 12:43 PM
It's been several years since I checked, but at that time although the NC Department of Agriculture listed a less than 1% probability of a bat having rabies it was nevertheless mandatory that anyone having physical contact with one undergo the standard series of rabies vaccinations.
I don't know if either of those facts are still accurate.
As far as vaccinating the little buggers go it's basically impossible.
They're famous for not keeping appointments.
Posted on August 4, 2006 1:54 PM
janherman,
That's cause they're so batty.
Posted on August 4, 2006 2:16 PM
Bat teeth are so sharp a person can't tell of they've been bitten or not. That's why the no tolerence for rabies shot upon possible bat exposure.
I used to explore old mine shafts up in the mts. and have been in some where the bats covered the walls/ceilings, litterally inches from me as I crawled through. Never thought about rabies.
Posted on August 4, 2006 4:21 PM