Forest Hills A Haven For Raccoons? by Rob MacKay- Forest Hills, NY Patch

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J.R. Nocerino knew things were getting out of control when he saw a family of five raccoons walking through Forest Hills in broad daylight. Although the species is nocturnal and at home in the wild, these critters were casually prancing down 68th Drive, showing no fear of humans or automobiles.

"They're getting bolder and bolder," he said. "One buddy of mine found a raccoon swimming in his pool."

A rarity 10 years ago, raccoons are popping up all over Forest Hills these days, it would seem. Recently, they have been sighted near the LIRR tracks, on the Forest Hills Little League baseball fields, on residential fences, in trees, and of course, in garbage cans.

"We're getting inundated," Nocerino said.

Though cute and cuddly-looking, raccoons can be vicious, especially if a mother thinks her brood might be in danger. They also, more seriously, present a rabies risk, although city data reveals that no rabid raccoons have been found in Queens this year. (Over 100 sick creatures have been trapped in Manhattan's Central Park, Brooklyn and the Bronx.)

On a citywide basis, raccoon-related 311 calls have increased by about 300 this year — as compared to the same time span last year — to roughly 2,400.

"They're just scaring the heck out of people," said Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio.

Locals point their fingers at the year-old Metropolitan Avenue Campus, which houses a high school and a middle school, as one reason for the recent spike. Some residents have claimed that the construction noise in the area made the critters move to quieter, more residential parts of town, especially since the school replaced the densely-wooded area where the nests would have been.

Residents also blamed city policy, noting that the NYC Department of Health will only remove a raccoon when it is sick or rabies is suspected.

City Council member Elizabeth Crowley, whose district includes Glendale, Middle Village and Woodhaven, has decided that enough is enough. She has introduced a bill that would force the NYC Health Department to remove raccoons from public and private property whenever a citizen makes a formal request.

If enacted into law, the legislation would require the health department to create a humane way to dispose of any unwanted raccoons, likely by capturing them and releasing them in areas outside the city.

In the meantime, Gulluscio encouraged locals to seal up their trash cans.

Lifelong Glendale resident Frank Kotnik Jr., who has patrolled Mid-Queens for decades as part of the 104th Precint Civilian Observation Patrol, said that a raccoon invasion might be the sign of better times. "The City of New York is becoming a friendlier place for animals," he said. "The air is cleaner ... and we have good restaurants."

Kotnik also reported that raccoons have run amok in Glendale for at least 15 years.

If the trend of wildlife migrating from his neighborhood to Forest Hills continues, he warned residents of a possible impending dilemna.

"I'm starting to see more possums near my house, " he said.

New Bill Would Require City to Trap Raccoons Anywhere in Five Boroughs by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

New Yorkers fed up with the antics of the city's furry masked bandits could get some relief under a bill that makes it easier to capture and release raccoons.

The bill, being unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, requires the city to trap raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs simply at the request of the public.

And in a conciliatory nod to the raccoons, the city Health Department would be encouraged to humanely release the critters. Under current guidelines, most trapped raccoons are euthanized because they can carry rabies.

"People have been calling my office complaining that they are seeing a lot of raccoons," Crowley said. "But the Health Department will only come if the raccoon is injured or sick. People are told to hire someone to trap them."

Dozens of raccoons in Central Park have tested positive for rabies, prompting the city to conduct an aggressive trapping and vaccination program.

"I have made reports and no one will listen to me," said a Queens woman, upset that a family of raccoons moved in behind her Ridgewood home. "I have two young daughters and I'm afraid. I was told if I called about a coyote, the city would come right away."

Health Department officials were mute on Crowley's bill, saying they don't comment on pending legislation.

But they encouraged any New Yorker who sees an aggressive or sick raccoon to call 911.

Wildlife experts encouraged New Yorkers to seal up their trash and leave healthy raccoons alone.

"You can't pick up and relocate every animal you see," said Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. "They are in the city, and you have to learn to live with them. They will have less contact with us if we don't invite them."

Questions Answered At Town Hall by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Foreclosures, water bills, building violations, education, public safety, flooding and raccoons were among the issues discussed at a nearly two-hour town hall meeting in Woodhaven on Monday night.

About 100 community residents and leaders gathered in the meeting room of the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, located at 78-15 Jamaica Ave., to ask questions of and get answers from their elected officials.

City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) organized the meeting and invited City Comptroller William Thompson Jr. and state Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) to participate. The three were eager to respond to the complaints and concerns their constituents voiced, and each found the meeting to be successful.

“It’s the summer and people can be elsewhere, with their families or home, and instead they spent some time with us to discuss the issues and try to make our community better,” Addabbo said. “So, hopefully we can show the residents that their time there last night was worth it. And, I think it was.”

Click photo to enlarge

Thompson, who answered as many questions as he could and promised to research the answers to those he could not, agreed. “The town hall meeting played a valuable role,” he said. “Residents of Howard Beach, Ozone Park and Rockaway Park are facing many of the same quality-of-life issues that I’ve been working to address. ... This town hall gave us a chance to speak and hear from the more than 100 residents who attended and learn more about how we can help to improve services for New Yorkers.”

Pheffer also agreed and said residents demonstrated their contentment when Woodhaven resident Allan Smith raised the subject of inadequate performance by the Department of Buildings.

The audience burst into applause after Smith asked the officials his all-encompassing question: “How can we enforce laws relating to zoning infractions, illegal conversions, McMansions, lack of landmarking in Queens, historic districts, concreting over lawns, out-of-character structures, permanent fencing, teardowns, self-certification by engineers and architects?”

Thompson immediately took the opportunity to answer. “The Department of Buildings, to be honest about it, has dropped the ball,” he said. “In Queens, it’s usually the first or second issue that anybody brings up. ... There isn’t an issue I hear about more.”

What it comes down to, the comptroller said, is that the DOB needs to add personnel who are better trained. The buildings department fails to properly inspect violation complaints and to respond quickly and efficiently, he added.

Audience members nodded in agreement. “I think people felt very good about hearing about the Department of Buildings because everyone there really had an issue with them,” Pheffer said.

Other hot-button issues brought up during the meeting were water rate hikes, flooding, insurance claims related to flooding and the inaction of the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Make no mistake, we’re being ripped off,” Thompson said of increasing water rates. The water board and the DEP raised the rate by 11.5 percent last year and 14.5 percent this year, generating outrage from city residents and elected officials. “They are putting their hands in your pockets. ... They are charging us more than it takes to run the water system.”

In a move that further frustrates local residents, the DEP has attempted to absolve itself of responsibility for last summer’s flooding, calling it “an act of God,” according to Thompson. Numerous parts of Queens were devastated after torrential downpours in July and August 2007 destroyed some homes and caused many to lose valuable possessions.

The Comptroller’s Office depends on the DEP to determine who, if anyone, is liable for the flooding damage. In many cases, the DEP does not hold itself accountable, which is why one resident at the meeting called the agency a “zero” pulling a “con game.” Recognizing that the DEP’s negligence is unfair, Thompson is working with the agency to find solutions that are more equitable to homeowners.

This has caused a delay in the compensation owed by the city to those who filed claims with the Comptroller’s Office regarding their losses. Thompson apologized to those like area resident Pat, who did not give his full name, awaiting a response. Thompson is also trying to extend the final deadline for compensation, so that homeowners will not have to file lawsuits against the city.

Putting the issue in context, Addabbo said overdevelopment and building violations are causing the city to lose its natural drainage. Paving over lawns, illegally converting buildings and erecting three-family homes in areas designed to accommodate only single-family structures are actions that exacerbate flooding in the city’s antiquated sewer system, he noted.

It appears the inadequacies of one city agency contribute to those of another — and what contributes to them all? According to Ozone-Tudor Civic Association President Frank Dardani, 311.

Since Mayor Michael Bloomberg created the public information center several years ago, city agencies have gotten lazy, Dardani implied. He believes they do not take initiative. Instead, they must be prompted by repeated complaints. According to Thompson, 311 was designed as a supplement to, not a replacement for, city agency’s awareness of and response to problems.

Woodhaven resident Elaine Bauman said there is one issue of which the city is aware, but just does not care: raccoon infestations. Families of the so-called “masked bandits” have taken over the backyards of homeowners living near Forest Park, she said. And unless residents want to trap and remove the pests themselves, they are here to stay because there is no city agency with oversight on the matter.

Addabbo admitted that the city is reluctant to deal with raccoons unless they are rabid, and suggested residents call his office so he can refer them to private trappers.

Other residents complained about excessive graffiti in their neighborhoods and were assured by Addabbo that the City Council is attempting to increase penalties for graffiti. The councilman also urged audience members to call his office for help cleaning up defaced property.

The topic of education was discussed at length toward the end of the meeting. David Quintana of Ozone Park asked Thompson for his opinion on mayoral control of the city’s schools, to which the comptroller — who is a likely contender in the 2009 mayoral race — responded with a smile.

Thompson believes in mayoral control, but questioned who’s in charge. There is a flaw in the law that created mayoral control, which allows the Department of Education to remain an unaccountable entity, according to Thompson, who has been outspoken in his criticism of School’s Chancellor Joel Klein.

“Parents are more left out than ever,” he said, adding that the next mayor should create in the DOE a greater level of accountability, responsibility, openness and transparency.

One of the last subjects discussed at the town hall meeting was foreclosures. Vance Barbour of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association asked several questions regarding what is being done to repair the foreclosure crisis that has gripped the nation.

The state is taking various steps to help keep people in their homes, Thompson said. Pheffer, in particular, sponsored legislation earlier this year that created a $150 million mortgage assistance grant fund to assist borrowers in owner-occupied homes who are in default.

Residents raised several smaller issues that the elected officials addressed and people left the meeting with a sense of accomplishment or confidence that they’ve been heard, according to Pheffer.

But it was also advantageous for the elected officials. “It helps our leaders help us,” Dardani said, adding that it’s always beneficial when people gather to have dialogue about serious issues.

The City’s Latest Real Estate Fight - Humans Against Raccoons by Ann Farmer - NYTimes.com

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Anastasia Higginbotham and her son Lionel found a raccoon living on the fire escape outside their apartment window in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.

Late one night, shortly after Kai Lui and his wife, Laura Campbell-Lui, moved into their Queen Anne-style house in Midwood, Brooklyn, she shook him awake, insisting that she heard intruders. Mr. Lui went to investigate and discovered noises coming from the fourth-floor attic.

He called the police. “They had their weapons drawn,” said Mr. Lui, a 41-year-old computer network administrator, recalling that night a few years ago, when an officer climbed a ladder and poked his head inside the attic. “I distinctly remember him laughing.”

The intruder turned out to be a raccoon. The raccoon scampered, and the police left, but Mr. Lui’s problem with unwanted guests remained.

His quest to rid his house of raccoons required enlisting the services of a wildlife trapper, cutting down a tree and replacing the roof, which had holes. But he harbors no ill will toward the persistent visitors.

“I figure they were here first,” he said. “We’re intruding on their space.”

Raccoons have long been widespread in New York City, and there is no way to say with any statistical certainty whether there are more now. But Capt. Richard Simon of the Urban Park Rangers, which is part of the city’s Parks Department, said a rise in the number of 311 callers reporting sightings, encounters or interactions suggests that “the citywide population of raccoons has increased.”

One thing seems clear. In the leafy neighborhoods surrounding Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery, residents have been flooding the Internet with raccoon stories.

Chris Kreussling, a computer programmer who lives just south of Prospect Park in Flatbush, posted pictures on his Flatbush Gardener blog recently of several raccoons in his backyard. It elicited a quick round of similar testimonies.

Another Brooklyn blog, the Gowanus Lounge, chronicled multiple raccoon sightings in recent days in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Windsor Terrace and Red Hook.

When contacted, many bloggers recalled raccoons rooting around in gardens and compost piles, traipsing into children’s wading pools and sometimes rearing up on their hind legs when startled. Many expressed awe at seeing the nocturnal mammals so close.

“People need access to wildlife in urban areas,” Mr. Kreussling said. “I consider it a bonus.”

Raccoons that appear to be a threat to public health or safety are taken by Animal Care and Control to a shelter and, if necessary, tested for rabies. This year, eight raccoons found in the city have tested positive for rabies.

“We want to maintain a healthy population of raccoons in the state,” Mr. Simon said, explaining that raccoons “adjust their patterns to where they find the most food.”

In other words, since raccoons flourish as much on tossed-out leftovers as on insects and worms, residents who do not want to unknowingly welcome them should secure garbage cans and other food sources.

That was a lesson learned by Nelson Ryland, 37, a film editor who lives in Ditmas Park with his wife, two children and a cat, which once enjoyed the use of a small door in the basement that could be slid up or down. One evening, as Mr. Ryland and his wife sat down to watch television and dig into a container of vanilla ice cream, they heard something in the kitchen chomping away on the cat food.

Their cat was in the room with them.

Mr. Ryland rose from his chair and yelled as he saw a large raccoon scoot down the basement steps and then watched it flee out the cat door. Mr. Ryland shut the metal door. What he did not realize is that raccoons have highly dexterous front feet, which are shaped like human fingers. A short time later, the raccoon had returned and had resumed snacking on the cat food.

As Mr. Ryland chased it downstairs a second time, he could not help but admire how deftly the animal lifted the metal door and slipped out into the night. “I have to have a certain amount of respect for them,” he said. “They’ve managed to survive in this tough city like the rest of us.”

Mr. Ryland also learned that raccoons have good memories; studies have shown that they can recall learned tasks for up to three years. Mr. Ryland tried keeping the cat door closed for several months, reopening it only after he assumed the nighttime visitor had forgotten about it. But each time, within a day or two, a raccoon would reappear. “They must be checking our cat door,” he said.

Ken Taylor, the vice president of operations for Green-Wood Cemetery, supervises the trapping of raccoons in the cemetery, where they tear up the manicured lawn searching for grubs. “We drive them far enough away where they’ll have a new home, and they’ll become someone else’s problem,” he says, describing how the police have occasionally driven into the cemetery with a raccoon in their trunk to let loose. “We say, ‘Please don’t dump them here.’ ”

Johnny Terpo is the owner of a wildlife management company. Photo at left...

As part of his campaign to rid his home of raccoons, Mr. Lui called Trapper John, an animal wildlife control business based in Holmes, N.Y., operated by Johnny Terpo. For three straight days, Mr. Terpo sat outside from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. until he finally saw a raccoon emerge from a hole in Mr. Lui’s roof. Mr. Terpo climbed a ladder and patched the hole with some mesh. Mr. Lui said he thought his troubles were over.

But the next night there was more cacophony in his attic. There had been two raccoons in the attic, and the second one was frantically trying to claw its way out. Mr. Terpo reopened the hole and waited until the raccoon finally left. Mr. Lui still sees raccoons on his property, but at least they have not made their way back into his attic — for now.