Rabies Task Force is Looking for Information Regarding a Deceased Raccoon Discovered in Eastham
***UPDATE: The racoon tested positive for rabies today, 11/20/2024. KNOWING THE INITIAL LOCATION OF THIS RACCOON IS EXTREMELY CRITICAL***
Officials from the Cape Cod and Southeast Massachusetts Rabies Task Force (CCSMRTF) are asking the public for assistance in gathering information regarding a deceased raccoon that was discovered in Eastham on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
The raccoon was found on the side of Smith Lane in Eastham, near the entrance of the Wild Care wildlife rehabilitation center, with porcupine quills in its muzzle and arm. Porcupines have not been documented on Cape Cod within the last 15 years.
It’s important to note that raccoon variant rabies has not been detected on Cape Cod since 2021 when a case was discovered in Hyannis. Prior to 2021, the last case of raccoon variant rabies on Cape Cod was detected in 2013.
Anyone with information regarding the deceased raccoon should contact Brian Bjorklund, Cape Cod Rabies Program Coordinator, at (413) 537-9394 or send an email CARE@capecod.gov. Any information, anonymous or otherwise, is welcomed and encouraged. Although it is illegal to translocate wildlife, INFORMANTS WILL NOT BE PENALIZED.
Related
Cape Cod raccoon mystery: Porcupine quills spark rabies fear – NBC Boston
