Comments on: Raccoons Line Up To Ride San Francisco MUNI Bus

By: John Law

John Law — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:57:31 +0000

Hey Sunchaser,
Watch Werner Herzog’s movie Grizzly Man if you want to hug wild animals. Soft hearted/headed anthropomorphising of wild animals does a disservice to the animal(s) and to humans. Animals are meat, pets, science projects, prey and the like for humans. Terrible? Maybe, but true.

By: CrudeOilRocks

CrudeOilRocks — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:03:21 +0000

SunChaser, you cannot be serious. Raccoons are wild animals and no one should be feeding them. This is why people get attacked by animals because they no longer fear us, kind of like people who feed bears and wonder why they start breaking into peoples houses. I am sure raccoons have a place in the ecosystem, and we should not interfere by feeding them. Chris may have a point, when animals congregate in packs, such as wild or domestic dogs, them can become extremely dangerous.

Its all fun and games until someone, or a kid gets attacked by a raccoon – by that point people will be on the hunt to kill these things off.

By: SunChaser Wildlife

SunChaser Wildlife — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:33:32 +0000

PS – Raccoons are not remotely in the rodent family, George. They are distant cousins to the bear family (the lesser, or red, panda bear).
They do not “carry rabies”. Like any mammal, including humans, they must be infected by a bite or saliva from an infected mammal THAT IS IN THE CONTAGIOUS STAGE. Rabies is NOT airborn and IS NOT even contagious until it reaches the encephaletic stage. Symptoms (that are MUCH more obvious than just being seen in daylight!) will show in a couple days, and the animal will die within a weeks time. No mammal can exist in the contagious disease for very long.
Mother raccoons, and juiveniles, are often out during the day – as well as raccoons that are in somewhat safe environments where being nocturnal is not critical for survival.
If an animal is rabid, you will know it (unless it is in the very few days prior to symptomatic). They become VERY strange acting, almost suicidal. However, distemper is also often mistaken for rabies.

By: SunChaser Wildlife

SunChaser Wildlife — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:22:07 +0000

Chris Yeh – “raccoons are vicious”? Isn’t that a very stereotypical statement? I do not mean to pick you out here :) but it is a good example of how brainwashed our society has become. When it comes to causing deliberate harm to humans, there is no non-human animal that tops humans themselves. Wildlife such as raccoons ONLY ever fight in defense – for survival purposes. I have worked with hundreds of raccoons and like most wild animals I have been blessed to earn their trust and see a side of them that our media and gov’t agencies have distanced us from with over stated myths and fear. Our ancestors had a live and let live attitude and well survived what we too easily write off as ‘nuisance’ now.
Raccoons intelligence is second only to higher monkeys and chimpanzees (Purdue University).
Raccoons, as every urban wild animal, have a purpose in our ecosystem. A few minutes of research will amaze you!
Per USF&G 2006 national survey, 55 million feed wildlife. 19.5 feed “other wildlife” (non birds). I am not condoning feeding certain wildlife, certain situations, or poor, harmful diets. But where are the stats to prove all feeding wildlife causes conflicts against these numbers? It does cause conflicts in SOME situations, but obviously not ALL the time! Personally, this bus driver is obviously charmed by his group of friends, but what if he loses his job? It MIGHT cause a conflict if a couple of those raccoons wander about looking for him.
But please, do not allow our state agencies and media to brain-wash you. State agencies are running a business. If we don’t care how animals are treated, neither will they. Your perception is up to you to formulate.
Wild animals are every bit the sentient, individualistic, emotional being our dog or cat is… every bit as capable of pain, suffering, joy, grief… that we all are. It is not our place to measure them against humans. It is our responsibility to respect our world and every creature in it.

By: Chris Yeh

Chris Yeh — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:56:50 +0000

Moments later, the raccoon pack surged forward and ate the flesh from the bus driver’s bones as he died a horrible screaming death.

They may look cute, but raccoons are vicious…he’s taking a pretty big risk by feeding them.

By: John G

John G — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:10:51 +0000

Those raccoons must have just finished visiting the Legion of Honor’s new exhibit, “The Overflowing Gilded Trash Cans of European Royalty, 1801-1899.”

By: Ski

Ski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:56:54 +0000

What a great photo. Kudos to the bus driver for feeding them. This photo just proves how great the people of San Francisco are. It’s a cruel world out there in the big city and the animals need friends just like the rest of us. Give the bus driver a raise so he can buy more food for them!

By: natta haotzima

natta haotzima — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:45:15 +0000

Un dia caminando en san fran me tope’ frente a frente con un raccoon GIGANTE casi como kung fu panda, casi nos damos un besito, pero mas bien nos asustamos y poquito a poquito retrocedimos silenciosamente, hasta reconocer que estabamos a salvo uno del otro… superrr funny cardiaco.

By: E.Grossman

E.Grossman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:25:42 +0000

Don’t let the raccoons drive the bus!

By: andingle

andingle — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:12:37 +0000

LQQK! Real LIVE furries!!!

By: king kong NINJA

king kong NINJA — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:45:59 +0000

“We lost our transfers. Also, we’re raccoons.”

“Step right on.”

By: hapa

hapa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:25:01 +0000

heh, it’s possible i saw a family of five heading there the other night, they were in a hurry

By: John Paul V.

John Paul V. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:13:06 +0000

Do they have to pay the normal fare or is there a raccoon discount?

By: George Fallar

George Fallar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:07:53 +0000

Methinks the bus driver is feeding those mega-rats nightly.

By: Chris TWiG Jelen

Chris TWiG Jelen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:06:10 +0000

Cute.. yet brutal..

By: MrBrownThumb

MrBrownThumb — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:05:14 +0000

Ha!

That’s hilarious and creepy at the same time.

By: Jason S.

Jason S. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:57:36 +0000

So. Cute. Dying here.