The North American raccoon, Procyon lotor, is a highly adaptable mammal known for its distinctive black mask and dexterous forepaws. Classified as an opportunistic omnivore, its diet and habitat selection are driven by readily available resources, frequently bringing it into suburban and urban areas. While their presence in human environments is common, raccoons do not eat people. These animals are generally shy and non-predatory toward large mammals; their proximity to humans is based on scavenging, not hunting. The actual risks associated with raccoons relate to defensive behavior and the potential transmission of zoonotic diseases.
The Raccoon Diet and Scavenging Habits
Raccoons are biologically built for a varied diet, a trait that has allowed them to thrive across diverse landscapes, from forests to city centers. Their omnivorous nature means they consume a wide array of plant and animal material, adapting their intake based on seasonal availability. In the wild, their diet includes insects, crayfish, frogs, bird eggs, nuts, and fruits, which they often manipulate and examine with their sensitive paws.
The raccoon’s presence near people is a direct consequence of its scavenging habits. They are drawn to human environments by easily accessible, energy-rich food sources, such as unsecured garbage containers, pet food left outdoors, and garden produce. This opportunistic feeding strategy explains why they are frequently observed rummaging through trash bins. Their intelligence and problem-solving abilities allow them to exploit these human-created food caches efficiently.
Although raccoons prey on small vertebrates like mice, voles, and young rabbits, their predatory instincts are not geared toward attacking animals larger than a typical house cat. Their diet is one of expediency, focused on whatever is easiest to obtain with the least amount of effort. This preference for scavenging over confrontation reinforces their role as opportunistic foragers.
Raccoon Behavior and Interactions with People
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, which means most human encounters happen when the animals are feeding or moving between den sites. They typically prefer to avoid human contact entirely, and a healthy raccoon will usually flee when approached. Their tendency to be seen in residential areas is a reflection of their adaptability to human-altered landscapes, not a sign of aggression.
An aggressive display or attack toward a person is almost always an act of defense, not predation. A raccoon may feel cornered, threatened, or be protecting its young when it resorts to vocalizations like growling or hissing, or a physical confrontation. Defensive posturing, such as raising their fur to appear larger, is a clear warning sign of a distressed animal.
A raccoon that appears disoriented, overly friendly, or fails to flee may be sick. These behavioral anomalies should be treated with extreme caution, as they represent a break from the animal’s typical fear of humans. Any physical contact with a wild raccoon should be avoided to prevent injury and potential disease exposure.
Public Health Risks Associated with Raccoons
While the risk of a predatory attack is negligible, raccoons pose public health concerns related to the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Rabies is the most serious risk, as raccoons are one of the most common carriers of the virus in the United States. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, typically via a bite or scratch.
A hazard comes from the Raccoon Roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, a parasite found in the animal’s intestines. Infected raccoons shed millions of eggs in their feces, which they often deposit in communal defecation sites called latrines. These microscopic eggs become infectious after a few weeks in the environment and can survive for years.
Human infection occurs when a person, often a young child, accidentally ingests these eggs from contaminated soil or objects. Once ingested, the larvae can migrate through the body, potentially causing a severe neurological condition known as neural larva migrans (NLM). Prevention relies on securing outdoor food sources, keeping pets away from raccoons, and safely cleaning up any raccoon droppings found in residential areas.