Toronto dealing with 'increase' in cases of sick, injured raccoons

Toronto Animal Services (TAS) is dealing with "an increase" in the number of service requests for sick and injured raccoons this spring, the city says. 

From Jan. 1 to April 20, TAS received 3,601 service requests compared to 719 service requests over the same period last year.

During a distemper outbreak in the fall of 2022, TAS received 3,722 service requests for sick and injured raccoons.

According to the city, outbreaks usually occur between May and November and will dissipate when colder weather arrives. 

Toronto experienced a relatively mild winter this year and the city says it is likely that transmission of distemper was still prevalent.  

Canine Distemper (CDV) is a virus that is generally present in the raccoon population. Raccoons with distemper may approach people or curl up to sleep in open areas in close proximity to people. They typically act disoriented or lethargic, may appear blind and confused, wander aimlessly or become aggressive if cornered.

A mucus discharge will often be present around the eyes and nose of sick animals and may be accompanied by coughing, tremors, seizures or chewing fits.

'A terrible disease for the raccoons'

Nathalie Karvonen with the Toronto Wildlife Centre says says a raccoon that has no fear of humans may have distemper or be otherwise unwell.

"There's definitely been an uptick in distemper cases in raccoons this year and throughout the winter and in the early spring especially, but unfortunately we have been seeing distemper cases for quite a few years now and there is a bit of a roller coaster kind of pattern to when we see the cases, but it's been around for a while," Karvonen told CBC Toronto.

"Some of the kind of classic distemper signs that we've been seeing for many years is raccoons that just appear really kind of dopey or docile, they are really unconcerned about people.

"So, you could kind of walk right up to a raccoon and … he wouldn't really do much to get away from you. And then also raccoons that are acting strangely. So, for example, like if a raccoon chose to sleep in the middle of a busy sidewalk in the middle of the daytime, that would be very, very strange behaviour for a raccoon," Karvonen said.

According to Karvonen, distemper is "a terrible disease for the raccoons" that, unfortunately, is not treatable. 

"So, for the poor raccoon itself, it is best to call the local animal services. In the City of Toronto that would be 311 and they can come and get that raccoon for humane euthanasia," she said.

"If it is, you know, certain that the raccoon actually has distemper  then they should call Toronto Wildlife Centre so we can help evaluate it.

"If one thinks, you know, 'Oh that's just too sad for the raccoon, I don't want to do that,' it's very, very contagious. So, if that poor sick raccoon is left in the community then he can pass on the disease to other raccoons or even other species of wildlife," added Karvonen.

Sandy Donald, director at Ontario Wildlife Rescue, says distemper usually starts at the back of the animal. 

"They start having trouble walking. One of the big things is they can't climb, and for a raccoon, the back legs are what it uses to climb," he said.

"Raccoons actually are very, very good climbers. They're not fast, but they're good climbers, and if they stop being able to climb, they usually become very disoriented, you know, losing fear of human beings is quite common, all that sort of stuff."

Distemper cannot be transmitted to humans

The city says distemper cannot be transmitted to people, but dogs can contract this virus if they have not been vaccinated or if they come into contact with a sick raccoon. 

To help keep pets safe, people should:

• Never feed or interact with wildlife.
• Always keep a dog on a leash or supervised in off-leash areas.
• Keep cats indoors or supervised when outside.
• Make sure their pets' vaccinations are up to date.

Residents are encouraged to contact 311 if they see a raccoon or other wildlife displaying abnormal behaviour.

More information about raccoon distemper is available on the city's website.