Update Nov. 17 ― At least one of the raccoons initially thought to be drunk is now believed to have had distemper, a serious viral illness, police said Thursday. That raccoon has been euthanized. Police added that they hope the other raccoon “was in fact drunk” and is “thriving in the wild.”
Earlier:
Reports of rabid raccoons terrorizing a West Virginia neighborhood turned out to be exaggerated.
The raccoons didn’t have rabies. They simply found some fermented crabapples, and apparently, are rather surly drunks.
“We have had calls on suspected rabid raccoons twice over the last two days,” the Milton Police Department wrote on Facebook. “Turns out they appear to be drunk on crabapples.”
The department released a mugshot of one of the masked suspects:
Police recently hauled in two drunk raccoons, although catching them was a “community effort.” After the animals sobered up, the officers released them into the woods unharmed.
Do not approach raccoons that are acting unusual, police said. Call the authorities just in case the creatures are ill rather than drunk.
(h/t WSAZ)
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