Stay away from raccoons, Toronto Public Health says, with injuries on the rise

They may be cute, but Toronto Public Health (TPH) is urging city residents not to interact with raccoons as reported injuries have considerably risen in recent weeks.

The warning coincides with more Toronto residents becoming bitten or scratched by the bandits. TPH also says there is a significant increase in the number of sick and injured raccoons.

A city spokesperson said since May 31, TPH has received 88 reports of people being bitten or scratched by raccoons. It’s a 117 per cent increase for 2023 compared to the previous five-year average between 2018 to 2022.

“In 2023, more than 80 per cent of the individuals bitten and or scratched by raccoons received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment, a series of multiple vaccine doses as raccoons are a high-risk vector for rabies transmission,” the city noted in a news release.

A group of raccoons are seen near their den. Photo: Unsplash.

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, is reminding everyone to avoid contact with raccoons and other wild animals to minimize exposure to rabies.

“Treatment is very uncomfortable and avoidable,” de Villa said. “If necessary, it’s most effective if started promptly after the exposure. The rabies vaccine is extremely effective but must be administered before symptoms appear.”

The risk of rabies is low in Toronto, but the disease is fatal if left untreated. TPH said to contact 311 to report the sighting of a raccoon that appears ill or behaving oddly.

Officials also said not to feed wild animals such as raccoons and squirrels or keep wild animals as pets.

If you are bitten or scratched by a raccoon, wash the bite or wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and apply an antiseptic to the wound.

Tourists interested in Toronto raccoons

It appears Toronto has developed a strong reputation for its raccoon population.

Earlier this week, someone on Reddit posted in the “AskTO” group with a question about safely spotting raccoons.

“U.K. tourists here desperate to see a raccoon or two before we leave. We even went to Toronto Zoo, but they were asleep or hiding! We’ve tried wandering with no luck! So we’re looking for a place/time to spot raccoons,” the post read.

“Does anyone have any raccoon [recommendations]?”

Several Redditors were eager to help out, with some going as far as to let the group of tourists know what part of the day is best to catch the bandits in action.

One Redditor’s response specifically mentioned the Annex, Seaton Village, Harbord Village and Little Italy as the local spots most likely to include a few wandering raccoons.