Raccoons’ behaviour gets attention in US

Washington : Raccoons are normally shy, nocturnal creatures. But they’ve been acting out in the US state of Ohio, where police report strange and menacing raccoon behaviour in broad daylight.

Over the past two weeks, police in Youngstown, Ohio have responded to some fifteen calls from residents reporting sightings of “zombie” raccoons, according to local TV station WKBN.

Witnesses describe the furry black-masked creatures assuming aggressive postures toward humans, showing no fear and impervious to attempts to scare them off with noises or movements.

Robert Coggeshall, a retired banker turned nature photographer, described the “extremely strange behaviour” of a raccoon that entered Coggeshall’s front yard as he played with his dogs.