A Snake in the House! Bats in the Bedroom!

A Snake in the House

A Josies Ring Road resident captured and released a milk snake in his house after finding it near his fireplace at around 9:49 a.m. on June 21.

An animal control officer said the adult milk snake is not poisonous and did not pose a threat and speculated that it sought the coolness of the house to escape the opressive heat outside — probably slithering in through an open door.

Police said the homeowner originally thought it was a rattlesnake. Earlier in the year, another homeowner confused a milk snake for a baby boa.

Bats in the Bedroom

A Swendsen Drive couple awoke to find bats fluttering around in their bedroom at 1:22 a.m. on June 28.

Two officers had searched for the animals but could not find them. On Friday one of the homeowners called to say she caught two bats in a container.

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Police believe the bats may have gotten in through the windows housing the air conditioning units.

Police also responded to a complaint of a bat in a house on Barn Hill Road at 11:52 p.m. on June 23. An officer found and removed the bat and suggested that the homeowners' contact a DEEP licensed nuisance wildlife control operator to determine the point of entry and exclusion if necessary.

Baby Skunk Takes a Dip

A baby skunk wound up in the swimming pool of a house on Pastors Walk at around 7:11 a.m. on June 22. The homeowner fished the skunk out with a skimmer and placed it on the grass.

Police said the animal waited there for an hour and returned to the tree line after regaining its strength.

Other reports involving baby skunks included den sights on Gay Bower Road and Elm Street. In both cases, police reported normal behavior and the property owners were told they could either leave the animals alone or do live trapping and releasing the animals, then taking exclusionary measures to keep them from returning to the den site.

A DEEP licensed nuisance wildlife control operator could also be hired.

Doe Breaks Up Game of Fetch

A doe kept chasing a dog on Old Zoar Road as the dog ran near the tree line to get a ball during a game of fetch with its owner at around 3:14 p.m. on June 25. Police said it was a normal defensive maneuver by a doe protecting its fawn.

A Wandering Pig

A pig owner on Hannah Lane was issued a verbal warning for creating a public disturbance June 26 when her pet got loose. She recovered the pig and returned it to her property without incident, according to Monroe Animal Control.

Joe Aversa's New Pet

Last week animal control officers were deluged by complaints over Joe Aversa's runaway Peacock. Now his new goat is on the loose. Five sightings were reported and the animal was still not caught by press time. Police said it poses no safety threat.

On June 25, a Mill Brook Terrace resident reported seeing a stray goat with a yellow tag at 7:14 p.m. Its owner, Joe Aversa was given a complaint advisory notice as well as the goat's last known location.

Aversa later reported the goat missing, a new purchase which immediately escaped from him, according to police.

Then at 7:23 a.m. on June 27, a Mill Brook Terrace resident reported seeing the goat on the front porch. Police said the goat fled when approached by an officer.

Aversa was notified again, and had been unable to capture his pet since it escaped on Monday night.

The stray goat was later seen on Colonial Drive at 1:10 p.m. on June 27, in a yard on Turkey Roost Road at 9:59 a.m. on June 28, and in the road on the same street later that morning. 

Barking Saves Woodchuck

A Cottage Street resident told police at 2:02 p.m. June 16 that a dog's barking sounded abnormal and expressed concern for a neighboring property owner.

Police determined everything was okay. The dog had cornered a woodchuck, which escaped after an officer distracted the dog.

But the pet owner received a written warning for failure to license the dog.

This Turtle Wasn't Too Slow

A large turtle was seen on the deck of a house on Fan Hill Road on June 23, but it left before an officer arrived.

Turtle sightings are common in June, which is known as Turtle Month, a time when turtles lay eggs on dry land.

A Stray Rabbit

A Josies Ring Road resident found a gray, stray domestic rabbit on June 24. Police said the animal has been impounded. The resident who reported it wants to adopt the rabbit if the owner does not come forward.

If the owner is reading this, the phone number for Monroe Animal Control is (203) 452-3760.

Raccoon Babies

A School Street resident reported seeing baby raccoons in the yard during the day on June 28, but police said that is routine behavior as the young take a long time to adjust to a nocturnal schedule.

Common cautions were provided to the homeowner.

In a separate incident reported on June 26, two baby raccoons were trapped in a dumpster on Monroe Turnpike. Police said they were removed and released on the property.

In another incident, a Cherry Hill Circle woman reported seeing a sick or injured raccoon on her patio deck. An officer was unable to catch the animal, which was hiding under the deck, too low to the ground. Two live traps were set up around the deck. The following morning a sick raccoon was removed from within the same map index area.

Foxes Killing His Chickens

A Wheeler Road resident complained June 26 that foxes are killing his chickens.

An animal control officer provided him with exclusion information and suggested he confine his chickens properly in a pen, securing the floor and top of the cage. The owner may also hire a DEEP licensed nuisance wildlife control operator.

An Elusive Woodchuck

Officers were called to a Gerardo Drive residence on two occasions on a report of a baby woodchuck in the garage, but could not find the animal either time. The homeowner was advised to keep the doors closed and to cut back the gardens on the sides of the garage.

Or they may hire a DEEP licensed nuisance wildlife control operator for trapping and removal.

Thank You

The Monroe Animal Shelter is grateful to the Meade family of Stratford for donating dog biscuits and treats for the animals living at the Purdy Hill Road facility.

Time Runs Out for Baby Opossum

A baby opossum suffering from head and spinal injuries after being struck by a vehicle in the 300-block of Teller Road on June 23 was being taken to a Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) licensed wildlife rehabilitator, but died before arrival.

Beagle Dies in Car Accident

Two stray beagles were seen in a yard on Shelton Road at 4:44 p.m. on June 22. Animal Control later picked up one of them and its owner, who raises beagles in a kennel, claimed it and paid the $15 fee.

The dog got loose soon after that and was struck and killed by a vehicle on Shelton Road on June 24. This time its owner was issued a $92 ticket for a roaming dog.

Wildlife Casualties

A Wells Road resident found a baby raccoon suffering from malnutrition and possibly disease and placed it in a crate with food and water on June 24, but the animal died by the time an animal control officer arrived.

An injured skunk was seen in the front yard of a Doris Drive residence at 10:43 p.m. on June 22, but the animal was gone by the time an officer arrived.

A similar incident involving an opossum on Teller Road was reported on June 23.

A sick or injured raccoon was seen on Wolfe Park's main trail heading toward Great Hollow Lake at 7:40 a.m. on June 28, but an officer could not find the animal.

A sick or injured raccoon seen on the Rails to Trails, just north of the two-mile marking, at 9 a.m. on June 28 was euthanized and removed without incident.

A raccoon died after being struck by a motor vehicle on Pepper Street June 21.

A baby raccoon's carcass was collected from a yard on Purdy Hill Road June 21.

A woodchuck was killed by a vehicle in a driveway on Spring Hill Road on June 28.

A dead baby skunk was found under the rear deck of a home on Greenwood Lane on June 24.

A one-year-old doe was struck and killed by a vehicle on Barn Hill Road on June 27.