How to Safely Handle Baby Raccoon Removal
Last Updated: May 2021
With many federal and provincial laws protecting wildlife, there are even stringent ones protecting their offspring. One of the more common baby removals in Ontario is raccoon removal and it certainly requires professionally trained technicians to ensure removal is being conducted as per the guidelines and laws set by the government. If proper techniques aren’t followed, one can face hefty penalties, and even criminal charges for animal cruelty.
In most circumstances, baby raccoons are found in the attic. Female raccoons pick the attic as it makes a secure, quiet, and warm den for her to give birth and to raise her babies. They tend to give birth shortly after they settle in the attic. Female raccoon usually nurses her babies for up to 10 weeks, during which time; she actively goes on forages for food, leaving the pups securely in the warmth and quietness of the attic. After the 10 week nursing period, the female raccoon starts taking her young ones on her nocturnal trips to teach them how and where to look for food. While they live securely in the attic, and go on about their daily lives, unfortunately, the experience isn’t exactly as comfortable for the residents.
As with any other wildlife settling in a residential or commercial property, raccoons cause damage to one’s property as well as causing serious health hazards. For many reasons, adult as well as baby raccoon removal is key in keeping one’s property clean, damage-free and free of any health hazards.
Things to Know About Baby Raccoon Removal Process
• Raccoon puppies should not be separated from their mother during the captivity process
• If the raccoons (both adult & babies) are trapped in a cage, food and water must be provided
• If during the baby raccoon removal process, they are separated from their mother, they should be fed and cared for, until they are 6 weeks old, before being let out into the nature
• Animal Services and Shelters can be contacted to take in motherless babies to rehabilitate them before they can learn to survive on their own in the wild
• Federal and provincial laws protect wildlife such as raccoons, from inhumane methods of captivity and can charge the individuals doing the inhumane act with criminal charges or fine them for up to $5000
If professional services are seeked for baby raccoon removal needs, trained technicians can remove the babies immediately given they meet the provincial guidelines set for the removal procedures. At SOS Wildlife Control, we conduct baby raccoon removal with care and kindness. We use boxes instead of cages as they provide warmth and security. Upon capturing the female raccoon, we ensure she is never separated from her babies. Although captured in different methods, we ensure the family end up together in a safe, quiet, and possibly enclosed area in the nature. Under many circumstances, we will also ensure food and water are provided for the raccoon family.
Baby Raccoon Facts
• Female raccoon usually gives birth to 8 babies, but only 2-4 usually survive
• For the first 10 weeks, female raccoon collects food and brings it to her babies
• After 10 weeks, female raccoon takes her babies with her to teach them how to find food, repeating the same route with each baby individually
• Female raccoons are very maternal and they will only leave their babies orphaned under the most severe conditions
• Baby raccoons are often called “kits”
• Raccoons don’t hibernate but they can sleep for 2-3 days in a row under extreme weather conditions
• Because they are nocturnal, their masks reduce glare and enhance night vision
• They usually locate food with their sense of smell and touch as opposed to their sense of sight
If you discover baby raccoons anywhere on your property, it is not a good idea to remove them on your own. As previously mentioned, aside from harming them and facing criminal charges and penalties, you may also have an angry female raccoon coming back to find her litter. Baby raccoon removal needs can be easily sufficed by professional wildlife removal technicians. They must be handled gently and with protective gear as raccoons are one of the most common rabies carriers. More information on rabies and how it’s transmitted from wildlife to humans can be found on the provincial information site here. While the adult raccoon removal methods differ from baby raccoon removal methods, we, at SOS Wildlife Control, ensure humane and caring relocation services are provided every single time. Because adult raccoons are a lot more active, bigger in size, and are able to cause physical injury to people, we use trap & release methods. And with baby raccoons, we ensure they are each handled carefully, inspected for harm or other health concerns, and kept together with the rest of the litter and near the female raccoon until they are all released to their natural habitat.
If at any point during the removal process our technicians identify an injury or a problem with the wildlife, we ensure they are taken to a wildlife care shelter where they can be treated and rehabilitated properly, under professional care. Wildlife are necessary in our eco-system and we play our part in protecting these animals and helping them get re-acclimated back to nature, where their real homes are. Although not for baby raccoon removal needs, but for all other removals of adult wildlife, we help our clients understand the removal processes as we often require for them to communicate with us. If we are unable to capture immediately, our clients inspect the areas where our technicians set up cage traps, and let us know upon capture, at which time our technicians provide speedy pick up services.
At SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, we provide superior baby raccoon removal services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Let us help you solve your raccoon problems. We can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait and call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.