Hey, raccoons aren’t funny. A bunch of them absolutely trashed my $600,000 waterfront home; it is currently unlivable. I trapped and released 2 of them; trapped a third, but he died in the trap during the heat wave.:-(
They aren’t funny, are they? We have a fairly nice set of ponds in our yard. The coons routinely dismantle and take away various pump parts, filters, and ornamental objects.
My husband figures the yearly damage at about $300 bucks.
That’s not close to your loss but it’s significant for us.
I trap squirrels, my neighbor traps coons. We have a mutual nondisclosur agreement for the sake of the children.
I actually had a pet raccoon when I was a kid. He was imported from New Jersey.
I grew up on Long Island, NY and my father obtained a permit from the State of New York which allowed us to have two raccoons, but my mother wouldn’t sign on for more than one. He lived in a large cage in woods we owned behind my house, and escaped more than once.
He still had his fangs and very sharp nails. He bit my father a few times, and he got me good at least once.....I gave him a paper plate full of table scraps, and when I tried to grab the plate to add more food, he sank his fangs into my hand. It took 10 - 15 years for the small scar to fade.
My Dad and I once took the raccoon into NYC.....to my Dad’s photographic business....to give him a bath. If you want to attract a crowd of people, try walking near Rockefeller Center while carrying a huge raccoon on your chest! That raccoon turned alot of heads, even amongst jaded New Yorkers.
Eventually, we took him to a large wooded state park and gave him his freedom.
Sorry to hear about the damage to your home. I hope your insurance covers the loss. I miss the good old days when the worst raccoons did was tip over garbage cans.