There are mixed feelings around raccoons, some people see raccoons as cute, furry creatures that can be taken as pets, others see raccoons as dirty nuisances that rummage through your garbage and make a mess wherever they go.

These animals will get very creative when looking for food and can become very desperate as well. But will they go as far as eating humans? Do raccoons eat humans? This article looks into it 

Raccoons do not eat humans, these animals only prey on smaller animals like poultry, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Raccoons usually keep away from humans. They will only attack humans if they feel threatened or feel as though you’re threatening their babies 

Do raccoons eat humans?

These animals will eat almost anything put in front of them. Raccoons will eat both plant and animal matter as long as it’s available and as long as they can hunt and catch it.

The typical meats in their diet include poultry, amphibians, fish, reptiles, and insects, but not humans. 

Why raccoons fear humans:

Raccoons have teeth and claws that can tear into raw flesh very easily, these animals regularly eat prey with tough skins. Raccoons tearing into human skin is very possible but they do not prey on humans

Humans are much larger than raccoons, even young children are bigger than raccoons, because of this, raccoons see humans as predators, they feat us and will avoid us 

Raccoons are very docile animals, they don’t usually attack or kill for sport, only to eat. They will look for smaller and weaker animals when looking for food to eat.

Whey a raccoon would attack humans:

Raccoons will normally avoid humans. They will only attack humans if they feel personally threatened by a human or if the mother raccoon feels that a human is getting too close to her babies. If this is the case, the animal will use its sharp claws to defend itself or its offspring 

These animals will try to threaten humans if they feel threatened, they threaten by making noises like growling and making ‘whoof’ like sounds to keep you away. They may even try to lunge at you if nothing else works 

If a raccoon attacks you for any reason it will not kill and eat you. They only attack to have room to leave the location. Killing a human seems like a huge feat for the raccoon. This would take a lot of energy.

Raccoons prefer to conserve energy when hunting for food, this is another major reason why they prefer to attack and kill smaller animals, the smaller the animal the less energy it takes to hunt and kill them

How dangerous are raccoons? 

Raccoons are generally very docile animals that keep to themselves. These animals are only dangerous if they have rabies or are carrying other diseases and are touched. 

Rabies:

Rabies can make a raccoon aggressive towards humans, this aggression will be unprovoked, it will also act more aggressive to other animals like dogs, cats, livestock, and other animals.

Signs of a rabid raccoon include: discharge from the eyes or mouth, self-mutilation, a staggering gait, unable to notice nearby noises or movement, or a wet and matted face.

If a raccoon that has rabies bites you, you’d need to quickly get to a doctor to receive post-exposure treatment. If you don’t seek medical attention, this bite can be life-threatening 

Other diseases:

Raccoons can carry a variety of diseases. Not only can raccoons give you rabies, but they can also transmit salmonella, leptospirosis, and raccoon roundworm.

These diseases can be transmitted by the raccoon scratching you or the animal biting you. If a raccoon bites you or scratches you, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as you can 

Skin damage:

If the raccoon is healthy, clean, and is in no way ill, their scratch can still damage your skin. These animals have sharp and strong teeth and claws. These teeth and claws can bite into metals and will tear through human skin like paper.

If a raccoon bites or scratches you, you may need stitches 

Conclusion

In conclusion, no, raccoons do not eat humans.

Raccoons are docile animals, especially to humans. They keep their distance most of the time, only attacking if they feel that they, or their offspring, are being attacked.

However, they do have the tools to attack and cause damage to humans 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other raccoon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do raccoons eat jalapeños?, Do raccoons eat hummingbird food?, Do raccoons eat chicken heads?, Do raccoons eat grapes?