Raccoons, with their distinctive masked faces and bushy tails, are often perceived as nocturnal creatures. While most active at night, encountering a raccoon during daylight hours is not always a sign of something amiss. These adaptable animals may venture out for various normal reasons, though daytime activity can also indicate illness or distress. Understanding these distinctions helps individuals respond appropriately.
Normal Daytime Raccoon Behavior
Raccoons are adaptable omnivores whose activity patterns shift based on environmental factors and individual needs. A common reason for daytime sightings is the pursuit of food or water, especially when resources are scarce or competition is high at night. These opportunistic foragers adjust their schedules to take advantage of available food sources, such as unsecured garbage cans or pet food left outdoors.
Mother raccoons with young kits often extend their foraging hours into the daytime, especially during spring and summer, to meet the increased nutritional demands of raising their young. Additionally, a raccoon might be forced out of its den during the day if disturbed by human activity, pets, or natural events like storms. Healthy raccoons seen during the day appear alert, responsive, and move in a coordinated manner.
Indicators of Distress or Illness
While some daytime raccoon sightings are normal, specific behaviors and physical signs can indicate that a raccoon is ill, injured, or in distress. A raccoon exhibiting erratic movements, such as staggering, walking in circles, or appearing disoriented, is likely unwell. Lethargy, unusual tameness, or an uncharacteristic lack of fear towards humans also indicate illness.
Signs of neurological issues, often associated with diseases like rabies or canine distemper, include partial or complete paralysis of the hind legs, seizures, or tremors. Physical manifestations of illness can involve matted fur, visible injuries, emaciation, or discharge from the eyes or nose. A sick raccoon might also display aggression without provocation, make strange, high-pitched vocalizations, or show excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth, particularly in cases of rabies.
Recommended Actions for Encounters
When encountering a raccoon, especially one behaving unusually, maintaining a safe distance is important. Do not approach, attempt to feed, or try to handle the animal, as even a healthy raccoon can become defensive if it feels threatened. If a raccoon appears sick or injured, contact local animal control or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately. These professionals have the expertise and equipment to assess the situation safely.
To deter raccoons from becoming a nuisance, take preventative measures around your property. Secure all trash cans with tight-fitting, weighted, or latched lids and avoid leaving pet food or water outdoors overnight. Remove fallen fruit from yards and consider installing motion-activated lights or sprinklers, which can temporarily startle raccoons. Sealing potential entry points into homes, such as attics, chimneys, or crawl spaces, can also prevent raccoons from seeking shelter inside.