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Family of raccoons spotted off Market

Posted by Geeky Swedes on September 4th, 2009

We’ve seen a raccoon in a tree, a raccoon on a roof, and now there’s a family of raccoons hanging out next to a bar on Market Street.

Robby emailed us, “I was walking on Market Street, when I passed by that dentist office next to the Old Pequliar. I looked over and saw, a whole family of raccoons!” He says the raccoons stood there for about two minutes. “They sure didn’t seem scared of me.”

This is a shot of them walking near the Old Pequliar parking lot. “Not quite a cougar sighting, but it was still pretty surprising to see a whole family of raccoons right off the sidewalk on Market,” he says.

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  • looks commical!
  • Yeah, they look cute. I've seen 'em tear apart a man in seconds.

    Not really.

    Oooo! I'll bet they're messing with the patrons of the pub!

    "DUDE! I *totally* saw a raccoon just now!"

    "Was it wearing a cougar-tail hat?"

    "No, dude, seriously!"

    "I'm cutting you off."

    "Oh MAN! Look! There he is again, and he's laughing!"
  • NoraBell
    The Old P welcomes all species.
  • ktown69
    Not really that funny. Our street around 67th and 27th has had many close encounters, at least one which ended with a dog almost dying. They certainly aren't afraid of humans or other animals. Where's that cougar when you need one?
  • ballardrocksnow
    Agreed, my gf has a family of coons outside her place that will virtually look in her window to announce their going to the condos garbage area to look for goodies. I think they actually want us to turn on the lights to help them see since they rarely move quickly despite yelling or clapping.
  • fuzzbeans
    I suspect the urban 'coons will be more and more visible as they get hungrier. With food scraps going into the big 'n' tall yard waste bins, there's less easy food for them in garbage cans.

    As much as I like wildlife and think they're very cute, I'm a bit worried for our pets and kids.

    We should probably introduce a cougar or two into the neighborhood to keep the raccoon population down!
  • Cougar Bob
    Magnolia's cougar totally trumps Ballard Raccoons.
  • Oh YEAH? Well WE had a BEAR!

    After you were done with it...

    p.s. - you can keeps the cougar...
  • Cougar Bob
    Discovery Park is wild animal central. Its where all the cool cats go!
  • NoraBell
    But the masked marauders prefer Market Street.
  • Cougar Bob
    For sure there are better restaurants in Ballard, smart old raccoons.
  • Alysse
    cougar food!
  • rodgowdy
    Masked and striped rats...
  • Jules2
    Racoons are so smart, if they had opposable thumbs, they would rule the world.
  • stopthebuzz
    I've read Where the Red Fern Grows. Didn't seem too smart to me. :P
  • That damn book made me cry my eyes out!
  • jubbjubb
    I think these are the same guys that walk the fence line between 15 & 17 on NW 58th. They are very friendly, well from 10-yards and thru a glass door anyway. Oddly they react the same if you blow them kisses or yell at them; I think it's, "Ya got any damn food, no, fine I'm out of here"
  • I've heard/seen maybe not these same coons, but a group of three or four, right around midnight, eating up the plums from a plum tree right by the old library. It's a good time for them to eat naturally (harvest season), so I don't know why they need to head over to the bars.
  • I saw them cross the street in front of my apartment building (64th and 15th) a few days ago around 6am...
  • Captain Bligh
    Well I expect them to get carded if they wander in a bar for a drink!
  • maryls
    Indeed, Raccoons are highly adapatable and live all around us. Read about natural behaviors of Raccoons in PAWS' spring 2009 magazine: http://www.paws.org/about/mag/issues/issue72/in...
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