First raccoon clear of dangerous viruses
(CNS): The first of two raccoons that had a stowed away in a shipping container bound for a local supermarket was clear of both rabies and canine distemper, which are viruses commonly carried by raccoons. The animal had been immediately trapped after the two raccoons escaped from the container at Foster’s Republix last month and the Department of Agriculture had sent test samples to the US. The other raccoon, which was captured yesterday, was found to have leg fractures and has also been euthanized. Test samples from that animal have also been sent away.
DoA Senior Veterinary Officer Dr Larry Caven said they were relieved to learn that the first raccoon was free of the two very serious diseases, especially since it was showing clinical signs of ill health. Both raccoons were juvenile males.
Examination of the animal caught yesterday revealed that it had a compound fracture of the leg and so it was humanely euthanized to prevent any further pain and suffering, the DoA said in a release. “Tissue samples were collected for mandatory testing necessary to determine its disease status.”
DoA Assistant Director Brian Crichlow explained, “It is essential that the department confirms the rabies status of both animals in order to determine if the Cayman Islands rabies status has in any way been compromised. Maintaining the Cayman Islands rabies-free status is of utmost importance as any change to this would not only pose a serious risk to the local human and animal population, but would have significant implications as it relates to animal and human vaccination.”
He again thanked those who reported seeing the animals which led to their capture. “It shows how important the public’s assistance is in these situations,” Crichlow added.
The Department of Agriculture is obligated to report the matter to the World Animal Health Organization and provide evidentiary proof as to the disease status of both animals as part of its international reporting obligations.
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Category: Local News
Now that the results of the rabies test for the first racoon is back, I say we grant him Caymanian status and allow him to run for public office. A significant portion of the brain missing puts him in the same category as many of our other Members of Parliament.
The Cayman Islands does not need any animal species that are not endemic to our islands – living here.
Raccoons bite and they carry rabies – which if a human or animal is bitten by a raccoon, they can get rabies.
You do realize that humans are not endemic to the Cayman Islans?
the cig caymankind committee is hosting the memorial service at the turtle farm, followed by a tour of our local dolphin prisons.
welcome to wonderland.
04 @ 11:01 am – Dolphins, that’s another story!! Do you know that all this time with no tourists, those poor dolphins have been left alone at the facility near the Cayman Wildlife Encounter (Turtle Farm)? I imagine that the dolphins at the other attraction near Morgan’s Harbour are still alone there also? T least they had open water but the ones at the Northwest Point facility are in those enclosures! Wickedness!
I love animals as much as the bleeding-hearts who have posted “shouldn’t have killed it” or “send it back”, but I also exercise common sense! Clearly the posters of such sentiments don’t!
Presumably the containers which held the raccoons came from the US (I’ve seen nothing to the contrary). Have they tried sending a well cared pet to the USA?? There is a very strict process, all shots must be up to date and other requirements of the US Dept. of Agriculture must be met!
How do these bleeding-hearts believe it possible for a couple of wild raccoons to be processed for legal re-entry to the USA? Where would they send them – to raccoon habitats? For goodness sake, they’re wild animals and pests in the USA, what do bleeding-hearts think would’ve happened to them if they were successfully sent back to the USA? Awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom?? NO, they would be euthanized!
So, people, stop making STUPID comments just to criticize Cayman!!
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10:03 glad someone else sees sense! The amount of angry and upset people on here is insane.
So they killed it for no reason. There was absolutely no alternative than to kill it? SMH!!!
Sadly, it didn’t realise it’s an invasive species. It also had suffered a compound fracture – probably sought refuge in that bush after having been hit by a vehicle – and then put out of it’s misery. There is no zoo, or paying customers to go visit a solo penned raccoon. Unlucky.
Why can’t this island become one of kindness to animals? Why could we not have isolated these animals and have them taken back to where they came from? All I hear around this island, in terms of animals, is kill, kill, kill
This would be great for the islands, if we take care of the animals.
It was a very moving execution. RIP Rocky.
Hardly surprising that the second one got hit by a bus.
you gotta love the caymankindness!
That will be a great relief to the now dead raccoon…. Hurry up global warming and kill off mankind!
but you killed it anyway
Little guy probably cleaned up more trash on the roadsides and in parking lots than DEH
Raccoon results quicker than covid these days
Better give the second one a PCR test too.
Never know what the other one might have catch up in West Bay though