'Zombie' raccoons terrify Ohio town with odd daytime behavior
- 6 years ago
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — Residents of an Ohio town are seriously spooked after raccoons in the neighborhood began exhibiting some very strange behavior.
WKBN-TV reports that one man was with his dogs in broad daylight when he spotted a raccoon approaching. It stood on its hind legs and bared its teeth before collapsing into a comatose-state.
It got back up moments later, but the man didn't stick around to figure out if it was rabid, undead, or something else entirely.
Police reported receiving 14 other complaints in Youngstown over the course of three weeks. All animals were captured and have been put down. Ohio's Department of Natural Resources says they were likely suffering from distemper, not rabies.
Distemper is a viral disease that causes coughing and seizures in raccoons, and causes them to lose their fear of humans.
Pets and other animals may be infected, so it's best to steer clear of any weird critters. Though it's at least not transmissible to humans.
Let's just hope it stays that way. No one needs the Walking Dead at their doorstep — the world is stressful enough already.
WKBN-TV reports that one man was with his dogs in broad daylight when he spotted a raccoon approaching. It stood on its hind legs and bared its teeth before collapsing into a comatose-state.
It got back up moments later, but the man didn't stick around to figure out if it was rabid, undead, or something else entirely.
Police reported receiving 14 other complaints in Youngstown over the course of three weeks. All animals were captured and have been put down. Ohio's Department of Natural Resources says they were likely suffering from distemper, not rabies.
Distemper is a viral disease that causes coughing and seizures in raccoons, and causes them to lose their fear of humans.
Pets and other animals may be infected, so it's best to steer clear of any weird critters. Though it's at least not transmissible to humans.
Let's just hope it stays that way. No one needs the Walking Dead at their doorstep — the world is stressful enough already.