‘There is raccoon s— all over the place’: ‘Opportunistic’ rodents breaking into Toronto city hall

National Post ^ | 10/30/13 | Peter Kuitenbrouwer

[Slings and Arrows]

As if things couldn’t get any worse, we now have rodents gnawing at the seat of municipal government.

Raccoons, rats, mice and even birds have moved in to the soffits underneath the roof of the second floor at city hall. For over a year, workers say, the rodents have been chewing up insulation at the level where city councillors have their offices. The invaders have left their feces all over the aluminum channels installed to keep them out.

“There is raccoon s— all over the place,” says Giancarlo Cervini of Martinway Contracting Ltd., the general contractor the city has hired to deal with the problem.

[Slings and Arrows]

How could they tell?

[Slings and Arrows]

I can only imagine what it's like in Chicago.

[llevrok]

They must have heard the Mayor has some good drugs in his office....

[cherry]

I have a relative who lives in a very high density neighborhood and has a small fenced in yard....she feeds raccoons, squirrels, skunks and even oppossums....sometimes even a little food for the birds.....I don’t dare tell her that its dangerous for the animals and the humans to be feeding them that way because she wouldn’t take it well....I suppose she’ll learn eventually...

[JimRed]

I don’t believe that raccoons are rodents.

[JimRed]

I have a relative who lives in a very high density neighborhood and has a small fenced in yard....she feeds raccoons, squirrels, skunks and even oppossums....sometimes even a little food for the birds.....I don’t dare tell her that its dangerous for the animals and the humans to be feeding them that way because she wouldn’t take it well....I suppose she’ll learn eventually...

When she runs out of food for them, they'll probably act more civilized than certain humans will when the EBT cards flash zeros...

[Slings and Arrows]

I don’t believe that raccoons are rodents.

And in America, that is your right!

[The article also mentions rats and mice.]

[Impy]

You are correct. Rodent refers to members of the order “Rodentia”. Racoons are in the order “Carnivora”, same as tigers, lions, wolves, bears, and the like.

[Darksheare]

Small issue for them: raccoons aren’t rodents.
They’re procyonids and “distant relatives of the giant panda.”

[Darksheare]

Correction: red panda.

[Slings and Arrows]

Maybe they meant the politicians.

[Blackirish]

There’s been a pattern lately. When one sees the word raccoon in a headline...chaos and hilarity ensues. I live those guys.

[Darksheare]

There is that.

[Slings and Arrows]

There’s been a pattern lately. When one sees the word raccoon in a headline...chaos and hilarity ensues. I live those guys.

That's what they *want* you to believe. The truth is far more sinister!

[Berlin_Freeper]

children go to kindergarten

[driftless2]

In my old hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin a number of deer-lovers put salt licks in their backyards. The deer came in droves trampling neighbors’ gardens and generally making a mess of everything. The city eventually forced the people to remove the licks.

[Squawk 8888]

To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.

Canada Ping!

[Black Agnes]

Tell your neighbor that squirrels can carry the plague. And all of those animals you listed can carry rabies.

Not to mention Hanta virus.

[null and void]

That's what they *want* you to believe. The truth is far more sinister!

[JimRed]

[The article also mentions rats and mice.]

JimRed- proudly posting replies without reading the whole article since 2000!

;^)