Reports of “zombie-like” raccoons across northeast Ohio baffled police and began attracting national headlines. The animals have been spotted exhibiting bizarre behavior around the city of Youngstown since January 2018.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Local wildlife photographer named Robert Coggeshall managed to catch a few examples of the strange phenomenon on film.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Coggeshall was outside playing with his dogs near his house when he spotted one of the raccoons approaching him.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Thinking quickly, he brought his dogs back inside and grabbed his camera. That’s when the raccoon followed them to the door and proceeded to exhibit unusual behavior.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
“He would stand up on his hind legs, which I’ve never seen a raccoon do before, and he would show his teeth and then he would fall over backward and go into almost a comatose condition,” Coggeshall told CBS affiliate WKBN.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Most of the odd sightings have occurred the daytime, even though raccoons are normally nocturnal.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources believe that the animals are most likely exhibiting symptoms of distemper.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Distemper can cause animals to cough, experience tremors and seizures, and lose of their fear of humans.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
While officials suspect the animals are likely suffering from distemper, WKBN reports that no one has been able to confirm that yet.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
According to the Youngstown City Health Department, the USDA has begun picking up the carcasses of euthanized raccoons across the area for testing to get to the bottom of it.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Distemper is a viral disease, which likely would have been transmitted from one raccoon to the next while eating, as city raccoons are less solitary than their country cousins.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
“Raccoons tend to be very social in this aspect that if they find food such as a bird feeder or a garbage can that hasn’t been properly stowed, then they will tolerate each other in order to get a meal,” Ohio Department of Natural Resources communications specialist Jamey Emmert told the station.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
According to police reports, 19 sick raccoons have been euthanized by police in the area since the first of the year.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
If distemper does turn out to be the root cause of the animals’ peculiar behavior, humans are not at risk of transmission.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
The illness can, however, be transmitted to pets if they are not properly vaccinated.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
Until authorities crack the case, residents are encouraged to report any raccoons behaving unusually to their local police station.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
In the meantime, the USDA will continue picking up the euthanized animals’ carcasses every week for testing.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
A sick raccoon peering around the wall of wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall’s house in northeast Ohio. The afflicted raccoons have lost their fear of humans, which officials point to as a sign of distemper.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons spotted acting strangely in the daytime around northeast Ohio.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
One of the sick raccoons exhibiting bizarre behavior around northeast Ohio, as captured on camera by wildlife photographer Robert Coggeshall. While some people wondered if the animals had rabies, officials believe it is more likely that they are suffering from distemper.
Credit: Robert Coggeshall
