'Drunk' raccoons seen stumbling around Stittsville

Inebriated raccoons have been spottedstumbling around Stittsvilleand sleeping off their hangovers in broad daylight,residents say.

On Monday, Emily Rodgers arrivedhome to find one of the normally nocturnal creatures nearly knocked outin her southwest Ottawa backyard.

He couldn't really move. He was dragging his legs, he was wobbling, having a hard time standing up.- Emily Rodgers, Stittsville resident

"He couldn't really move. He was dragging his legs, he was wobbling, having a hard time standing up. You could tell something was wrong with him for sure," Rodgers said.

After watching the raccoon for several hours, Rodgers called 311 and city workers came to remove the animal.

The previous day, Julie Fong had a similar experience when a bylaw officer came to her door seeking access to the backyard. There'd been a callabout a raccoon in the area that appeared intoxicated, the officer told her.

"So that's why this guy was kind of sleeping it off under our deck," Fong said. "There was a drunk raccoon under our deck."

'Drunk' raccoons showing up in Stittsville neighbourhood

5 years ago

Duration 0:11

This video, submitted by resident Julie Fong, appears to show a lethargic raccoon lying on a walking path. Experts say the animals are likely overindulging on fermented fruit.

Fong assumedit was the same animal her husband had seenstumbling down a path and resting on a fence behind their house earlier that day.

"He said it was sort of stumbling along, just looking completely off, [like]somebody who may have had a few extra libations would be walking," Fong said.

Fermented fruit likely to blame

No, the raccoons haven't been visitingthe local bar they've more likely been overindulging on fermented fruit, according toMichael Runtz, a biology professor at Carleton University.

Runtz, who has neither seen nor examined any of the alleged inebriates,said there's an abundance of fruit falling from trees in the area this year, and it looks like the raccoons are having a hard time cutting themselves off.

"It's possible that some of the fruit is fermenting under the heat, and that these guys are getting a bit tipsy by eating that fermenting fruit," he said.

Runtz said it's typically birds thatoverdo it onfermented berries and crab apples,but he has heard of a similar case involving raccoons in West Virginia last year.

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He said in that case,the animals were so intoxicated they were seen falling out of trees.

His advice?

"Don't try to give them coffee and get them sobered up, just let them go their course," Runtz said."If you're really concerned about the animal, call ... some of the animal control officers to come have a look at it."

'There was a drunk raccoon under our deck'

5 years ago

Duration 1:03

Stittsville resident Julie Fong says she got a visit from an animal control officer on Sunday to remove an intoxicated raccoon from under her deck. Her neighbours Susan Mayo and Emily Rodgers say they've also seen raccoons in a similar state.

A spokesperson with Ottawa's bylaw department said so far this year, there have only been two reports of wild animals appearingintoxicated.

"When [bylaw] receives a call regarding a sick or injured wild animal, an officer is dispatched to transport the animal either to the Ottawa Humane Society or to a veterinarian depending on the time of day," Alison Sandor said in a written statement.

"A veterinarian will assess the animal and determine a course of treatment."