The answer to this question is simple: rarely. Most people assume that just becausethey see a New York City raccoon active within the daylighthours then it most probably is sick and it has rabies. Raccoons are nocturnal by natureandthis is something that mostpeople know about. This means that the raccoons are active within the nighttime. Therefore, if the New York raccoon is out with the day instead of at night, most people are bound to worry that something is wrong.



Rabid raccoons
When a New York City raccoon is sick, it will usually exhibit some different kinds of behaviors that are unusual. When raccoons are active during the daytime it doenst necessarily mean that they have rabies or are sick. Even though the raccoons are primarily nocturnal animals, sometimes they do get out and do some activities in full daylight. Sometime theyjust don’t sleep from dawn to dusk totally inactive. They may have different reasons for venturing outside lie search for drink and food especially where the female New York raccoons are nursing and have to find enough food so as to have adequate milk for their babies. When nursing, the females need more nutrition. During spring, mother raccoons can sometimes be seen gathering some extra food in the day so as to aid with the production of milk.

How to tell if the New York City raccoon has got rabies
When a raccoon is very sick, the signs may be really straightforward and you can tell just by looking at them. In most cases, the New York raccoons may be lethargic. As they allaround, you may notice that they are erratic or the hind legs may appear to be paralyzed. The raccoon may also be walkinground in circles and falling over as they do so. Lurching in a fashion that is unnatural can also be noticed.

Basically, a sick raccoon will usually simply look sick.
If you happen to see a New York City raccoon outdoors duringtheday and it seems to be alert and agile and also it is able to forage and run around in a coordinated and smooth manner that seems normal, then you can be totally sure that the raccoon is quite healthy. However, regardless of how good the New York raccoon looks, you shouldn’t approach or make a food offer. The greatest likelihood is that there is really nothing to be worried about but do not be too confident.

What to do when you encounter raccoon during daytime
If you come across a New York raccoon at any one given time, the most sensible thing is to leave it alone. Just because you see a raccoon out during the day doesn’t mean that you need to be alarmed. There are lots of reasons as to why the nocturnal animal may be up and about during daytime.

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