Are Raccoons Dangerous or Aggressive to Humans?

Raccoons in a house look so much like pets, that you would hardly associate them with danger. Sometimes, you can even come across them giving you a wide-eyed stare that can melt your heart.

But outside their pet-like characters and cuteness, is there anything about raccoons that we can describe with the word dangerous or aggressive? Let’s take a close look at raccoons and all their secret tendencies. 

Are raccoons aggressive or dangerous to humans? That’s one of the questions that people ask when they start seeing raccoons too often in their environment. Considering how mischievous these little mammals sometimes act, it’s wise to get suspicious of them. 

Raccoons are shy creatures. They do not want to have open confrontations with humans, even though they are ready to accept food from humans. Whenever they see humans coming, they tend to run away, to avoid close contact with them.  

But raccoons can get aggressive when they feel threatened by humans. If you corner a raccoon without giving it a chance to escape, it may result in the raccoon attacking you. A mother raccoon may also attack any human that tries to touch her liter or run away from the invading humans, leaving her liter behind.

Although, there have been few reported cases of rabid raccoons acting aggressively toward humans. Raccoons are not naturally dangerous or aggressive to humans except when threatened by humans. 

Are Raccoons Dangerous as Pet?

No matter how fluffy and innocent that cute raccoon you just saw might have appeared. It is still a wild animal, and wild animals do not enjoy living in cages. So, because humans have succeeded in converting raccoons’ homes to human homes, they should learn to respect these raccoons and treat them with dignity. 

Moreover, it is illegal to keep raccoons as pets in some states. But if you live in states that allow you to keep raccoons as pets, remember that raccoons are never meant to be domesticated. They will always show the wild and unpredictable part of them when they become sexually mature. 

They may destroy so many parts of your home and chew on your household wiring. Raccoons are also well known as vectors of rabies, so keeping a raccoon pet may expose your whole family to the virus. They can also bite humans and other pets playfully or in self-defense.

We may not agree with the idea of putting pet raccoons in cages to tame them. Because we believe that since it’s the humans that encroached into their homes, they should treat raccoons humanely. And leaving the raccoon pets to roam around your home uncaged may expose your family, livestock, and other pets to the danger of getting bitten by raccoons. 

There have also been cases of raccoons eating pet fish in little aquariums at home. So, are raccoons dangerous as pets? Yes, raccoons are dangerous as pets, a wild raccoon that you have nothing to do with may not be dangerous, but a pet raccoon that you live with is dangerous. 

Can Raccoons Kill Humans?

Raccoons see humans as big predators that must be avoided. But because humans keep turning their homes into cities, they have no other choice but to learn how to live with the humans. And so far, there has not been any case of raccoons attacking and killing humans.

However, humans have to beware of raccoons because they can get excessively curious, to the extent of wanting to get close to humans. And if a human mistakes the raccoon’s curiosity for a hand of friendship, the raccoon may feel threatened and attack the human. To avoid this, it may be best if you do not touch any curious raccoon that approaches you.

Can raccoons kill humans? On neutral ground, the answer is no but we have a rare case of raccoon infecting a human with rabies. In the process of getting close to raccoons, humans may be exposing themselves to the rabies virus, and if not well taken care of, an infected human may die. 

Are Baby Raccoons Dangerous?

A baby raccoon may look very cuddly but it may also be infected with rabies. Baby raccoons are not aggressive or dangerous because they often appear very friendly, compared to adult raccoons. But as they grow teeth, their tendency to bite also grows and when they hit maturity, wild and unpredictable raccoons may emerge.  

Are Raccoons Dangerous at Night? 

Raccoons are nocturnal, which is why you will mostly find raccoons foraging around your home at night. But they are not dangerous to humans, they still regard humans as big predators, even at night. Sometimes, you may find raccoons fighting each other with so much aggression, but the aggression ends within themselves. 

Are Raccoons Dangerous in the Day Time?

During the day, raccoons are not very active, except for baby raccoons, mother raccoons, rabid raccoons, and very hungry raccoons. Raccoons seen during the day have to be handled with some level of cautiousness because if rabid, they can get aggressive and also spread the virus. A foraging mother raccoon may also turn aggressive when trying to protect her liter.

Outside this set of raccoons, raccoons are not necessarily dangerous in the daytime. They could just be innocent raccoons trying to forage. 

Are Raccoons Afraid of Humans?

Humans are one of the greatest threats to wildlife, and as such, wild animals such as raccoons see us as predators. They are not only afraid of humans, but they will also do all they can to avoid humans, except the domesticated ones. 

Are Raccoons Friendly to Humans?

Raccoons are not necessarily friendly but they can be pretty curious. Although baby raccoons can get very friendly to the extent of following humans. Adult raccoons are wild and do not care about humans except when the human has food to offer, then they get close to get the food. Which is why you find them looking for food around human homes.

Do Raccoons Bite?

Raccoons do not have 40 sets of teeth for showcasing, they bite. Their teeth are used for biting into their prey and tearing flesh. Raccoons can also bite humans. 

Conclusion

Raccoons will not attack humans for the fun of it or food. But are raccoons dangerous and aggressive? Raccoons can get dangerous and aggressive when the need arises for them. And to avoid facing their aggression, treat them like the wild animals that they are, and do not get too close.