Where Are All of Boise’s Raccoons Coming From?

Are raccoons invading Boise quicker than a pack of Californians?

Insert the "Californian" joke, HERE--everybody. Yes, I had to toss a joke out there, all in good fun, because the internet comments just don't stop coming.

No Californians, I don't hate you. However, yes--the uptick in raccoons has seemed REAL lately.

Just this afternoon while driving up Broadway Avenue by our radio studios, I noticed a raccoon on the sidewalk. It wasn't alive and clearly a car or speeding Lime scooter had taken it out...but that raccoon wasn't the first that I've seen this week. I've been seeing these creatures everywhere.

What's up with the raccoon invasion? Just this past week, a member of the Treasure Valley Crime & Community group online was sharing a video of a whole FAMILY of raccoons trotting through a parking lot on Fairview & Maple Grove. Many commenters believe that the heat might be throwing these little creatures off. Others believe that vast amounts of new development may be pushing them into town.

While there's no being certain of why these raccoons seems to be popping up more and more lately, one thing to remember is that they CAN be dangerous, no matter how cute.

Known for being disease carriers, raccoons have a risk of spreading rabies or "round worm". This is just a start. They're also the size of a large house cat--sometimes bigger--and will attack dogs or cats if they feel threatened. It's bad enough that Boise already has hawks swooping down on small pets!

Jokes aside, if you seem to have an uptick in raccoons at your place, reach out to the Idaho Department of Fish & Game and they can help you out. Oh, and if you figure out where these things are coming from--you've got to tell us!