Raccoons!!!

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer   

#TurksandCaicos, May 15, 2023 – There has been a biosecurity breach in a shipment reportedly from the US and now Grand Turk is reporting sightings of raccoons; at least one of the animals, which is an invasive species, has been confirmed dead.

Accounts passed on to Magnetic Media say at least four of the dexterous mammals have been sighted.  A photo of one of them, seemingly dead, has been shared with our news team.

The shocking arrival of the raccoons is being attributed to accidental importation by unofficial sources with knowledge of the issue.  That source told the team the animals may have been in the country for a few months already after accidentally arriving, likely as stowaways, on a shipment via the port.

Raccoons, while small, are known for their remarkable agility and intelligence but are mischievous creatures and a general nuisance, tampering with farms and garbage cans.  But they are much more dangerous than a few overturned bins; raccoons can be extremely aggressive towards other animals, including pets, often biting and injuring them.  Arguably their most dangerous feature is their proclivity to rabies.

Rabies is a viral disease that turns those infected ‘rabid’ by attacking the nervous system.  Rabies works quickly infecting the brain and causing death in mammals, including human beings.  Rabies is fatal in nearly all cases.  The US Centers for Disease Control describes the progression of the disease:

“The first symptoms of rabies may be similar to the flu, including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache.  There also may be discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite.  These symptoms may last for days.  Symptoms then progress to cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation.  As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), and insomnia.  The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days.  Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.”

Most countries in the Caribbean do not have rabies issues having eliminated the disease; the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) says only four countries continue to report cases of canine rabies: Bolivia, Guatemala, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  Rabies is one of the reasons that many Caribbean countries have strict laws against importing pets from North America where the disease is prevalent in raccoons, skunks and bats.  It is easily passed on to dogs especially through bites.

Thankfully human cases of the disease are very rare and preventable with vaccination.  In addition, the animals do not breed quickly.  We have reached out to the government to find out about the breach and were told the Ministry of Agriculture is working on a report on the infestation.