Aggressive raccoon pack roams college campus

SEATTLE — Officials at a Seattle college have posted dozens of warning signs after reports of several raccoon attacks on campus.

Administrators at North Seattle Community College told the Seattle Times they think there are four aggressive raccoons responsible for the trouble that has prompted them to put up 30 signs cautioning about an aggressive pack in the area.

In one incident, a man’s dog was attacked twice.

In another incident, a man had to kick at a pack of raccoons to keep them away from his toddler while they were walking on a trail.

Though raccoon attacks on humans are uncommon, one was reported last month in Lakewood by a woman who said she was knocked down, scratched and bitten by a pack of the animals.

Though raccoons can carry rabies, some wildlife and medical journals said only one human fatality has ever been reported after transmission of the rabies virus from a raccoon.

According to the Times, North Seattle Community College has hired a private company to place some traps, but only one raccoon has been caught so far.

It's been suggested that all the trash left out during the recent garbage strike may have drawn them away from campus.

KIRO