Bay Area wildlife center seeing influx of raccoons, skunks, hawks, owls

San Rafael wildlife center seeing influx of raccoons, skunks

San Rafael wildlife center seeing influx of raccoons, skunks.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Wildcare, a non-profit wild animal rescue, rehabilitation and release organization in San Rafael, accepts abandoned, injured, lost or baby wildlife from all around the Bay Area. This year, some species – namely raccoons, skunks, hawks and owls – are showing up in large, if not record numbers.

"This has been the most outrageous year for raccoons," Wildcare Communications Director Alison Hermance said on Thursday. 

Right now, Wildcare has 30 orphaned babies on bottle milk twice. That's what they had at this time last year with many more coming until August.

Despite what many people think, raccoons are great pest exterminators. 

"We do always want people to appreciate their local raccoons because raccoons primary diet is of rodents. So, it you have raccoons in your area, you're not gonna have a rat  problem," said Hermance.

She also said that her center is also seeing a "tremendously big year for skunks" and an "insane number of hawk and owls." 

A total of 22 skunks have come in this year, compared to just two last year.

"I think this year for skunks has been the biggest year possible ever in all of my 23 years at Wildcare," she said. "Skunks like to eat rats and mice. They also like to eat slugs and snails." 

There are a couple of reasons for the influx.

A multi-year distemper epidemic that killed many has now ended, allowing them to flourish. And they flourish because three wet winters have caused  the rodent population to explode.