How to Find and Remove a Dead Raccoon

Introduction
Raccoons are wild animals whose habitat has always been in forests and mountainous areas full of trees. However, the fact that they easily adapt to different environments and eat what human beings eat has lured raccoons from their natural habitat to human dwelling areas. It is now very common in some areas to find raccoons in urban areas. Many homeowners actually live with raccoons in their attic without their knowledge. This is because they are nocturnal animals that become active at night.

Raccoon Health
Raccoons generally have a life span of between 2 and 3 years. However, some do live over three years. Raccoons are generally healthy animals even though they suffer from various diseases and transmit several others.

• Distemper – Distemper is a major cause of death amongst raccoons. It starts as a respiratory disease before progressing to become a running nose. An infected raccoon normally develops diarrhea and starts to grow thin. An infected raccoon normally dies after a month or two after infection.
• Roundworm – Raccoons are natural hosts of the large roundworm, a nematode parasite that resides in the small intestine. A huge population of roundworms in the intestines of a raccoon causes the raccoon to grow thin before it eventually dies.
• Rabies – Raccoons are natural carriers of Raccoon rabies, which is actual rabies. Raccoons are not only a risk to you, your pests and your domesticated animals in terms of rabies transmission; they also die from rabies.

Apart from diseases, raccoons can also die from other causes including poison, deadly traps and electrocution among other causes.

Where to find a dead raccoon in your home
Although a raccoon can die anywhere in your home during the night when it emerges from its den, the most likely place where it is likely to die is in the attic. This can be during the day or at night.

Raccoons are similar to dogs in terms of weight. Having a dead raccoon in your attic therefore means having a mass of rotting flesh that is bound to start producing terrible odor that covers all rooms in the house.

A thorough inspection of your attic becomes very necessary in case of any bad odor emanating from there. It is always a good idea to wear protective clothing even as you carry out inspection since the odor can be worse as you near its source.

A thorough inspection of your attic should expose the cause of the bad odor. An intense odor should alert you of a dead raccoon because the odor of such smaller animals as rats and squirrel is usually not that intense.

How to Remove a Dead Raccoon
Removing a dead raccoon from your attic can be a serious challenge considering the amount of decomposing flesh you will need to handle. It may also be risky to attempt removing the dead body. This is because raccoons are natural carriers of rabies, a highly contagious disease.

The most effective and safe way of removing a dead raccoon from your attic should be undertaken by a professional wild animal removal company. Such companies engage the service of professionals with the knowledge, skills and expertise to remove a dead raccoon safely and dispose off the body properly.