Rare Accident Involving a Bobcat
A bobcat struck by a motor vehicle in the 200-block of Main Street was found dead on the side of the road at 5:19 p.m. on April 20. Police said the driver, who may not have seen the cat, did not stop after the accident.
It was an adult male, 27 inches long, 19 inches high and weighing 20 pounds. (See the photo with this story).
Monroe Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection estimates that 30 bobcats in the state die from being struck by vehicles every year.
In Risko's 33 years on the job, it was only the second accident involving a bobcat in Monroe that he knows of. Risko said bobcats encounter traffic more often when the population is higher.
In a separate incident, a Sprucebrook Terrace woman believes she saw a bobcat approach her door on April 19. Police said an officer tried to find it, but there were no tracks and no signs of the animal in the area.
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Other animals struck by motor vehicles this past week include a raccoon on Elm Street, a raccoon on Moose Hill Road, a deer on Monroe Turnpike, and a raccoon on Pepper Street.
So Much for Grandpa
A beaver carcass was removed from a storm culvert on Garder Road at 7:12 Thursday morning. It was an adult male weighing 40 pounds.
"If a beaver dies, other beavers will use the body for their dam," said Animal Control Officer Edward Risko. "They'll use anything. They don't care if it's grandpa or not. He's in the dam."
What's a Renovation Without Raccoons?
A builder renovating a house on Cross Hill Road opened up a wall and found himself face-to-face with an adult female raccoon at around 12:53 p.m. Monday. The animal fled up the attic and out of the house, but police said its babies were left behind.
The baby raccoons were removed from the wall and placed in a tapers bucket, which was left near the woods. When the mother calmed down, Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said she came back and picked up her babies, taking them to a new den site one-by-one.
Risko said raccoons transport their babies in their mouth the same way a cat carries its kittens.
Raccoons Under the Deck
A carpenter opening up a patio deck Tuesday came upon a raccoon den site, disturbing the adult female. The immature baby raccoons were collected with their bedding material to keep them warm, according to police.
The animals were placed in a basket left near the wood line for the female to return and collect her young. A few hours later, all of the young were moved by the raccoon to another den site, according to the report.
There were no exposures and no testing was required.
Dog Ingests Poison
A Lovers Lane woman brought her dog to the vet for a surgical procedure on April 20 and a blood test revealed high toxin levels consistent with rat poison, according to Monroe Animal Control.
An investigation determined the dog had been roaming on a regular basis, running through a high number of neighboring properties. One property was legally using rodent poison in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, according to police.
Other than the roaming dog violation, no police action was required, Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said.
Coyote Kills Cat
A coyote killed a 24-pound cat left outside on Fan Hill Road Tuesday night. At approximately 6:50 the next morning, the pet owner saw the coyote walking between houses with her cat in its mouth.
Police said the area was searched, but the animals could not be found. An Animal Control officer discussed common cautions with the cat owner.
Also this past week, coyote sightings were reported on Farm View and Hillcrest roads.
Baby Rabbits
A Lovers Lane resident told police that her daughter was rototilling in their yard late in the morning on April 20 when her friend found baby rabbits.
Monroe Animal Control recommended returning the babies to their burrow and leaving them alone.
Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said mother rabbits only visit their young two to three times a day to avoid attracting predators. If the nest is disturbed, the mother may not come back. If that is the case, Risko left the homeowner with contact numbers for a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Fox Den Under a Shed
A Pastors Walk couple discovered a fox den with immature fox kits under their shed, according to a report on Saturday. Animal Control recommended observing the fox from the distance and leaving the animals alone.
"The fox will disperse in one or two months and at that time they should build an exclusion device around the shed to prevent them from returning next year," Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said.
Dog Bites Boy
A six-year-old boy playing at a neighbor's house on Country Ridge Drive at around 11:13 Tuesday morning was chased by the dog and bitten on the back of his leg, according to police. The boy was injured, but required no immediate medical attention, police said.
The eight month old dog was validly vaccinated, but must be quarantined to its property for 14 days then be examined by a veterinarian prior to its release from quarantine, according to the report.
A complaint advisory notice was issued for nuisance (dog bite) and a written warning was issued for failure to license.
Gathering Food
A raccoon was seen on Forest Road during the day Saturday.
Animal Control said there is a possible den in the area with an adult female gathering food while nursing a baby raccoon. Officers searched the area, but were not able to find the animal.
Geese and Goslings
A traffic hazard was reported on Main Street, near Knollwood and Brook streets, Sunday when an adult Canada Goose and its goslings were close to the roadway. The area was searched, but officers could not find the birds.
Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said the area was too large for fencing to prevent geese from entering the roadway, adding that a fence could also prevent the geese from exiting the roadway to a safe zone.
In another incident in the same area reported at 7:21 Thursday morning, a driver reported seeing a goose that appeared to have been hit by a vehicle — leaving its goslings in the roadway. Officers searched the area, but could not find the birds.
Risko said there was frost on the ground that morning and that geese sometimes lay on the pavement for the warmth, so the adult goose may not have been hit by a vehicle after all.
Rabies Outbreak Continues
A passing motorist on Fan Hill Road reported seeing a raccoon, whose face and paws appeared to be burned and scarred, with paralysis to its hind legs at 4:51 p.m. Monday.
"It's rabies," Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said. "An old abscess wound was on the raccoon's face from when it was attacked and infected."
The area was searched, but the raccoon could not be found.
In a separate incident, a skunk who appeared to have old bite wounds on its face and displayed symptoms of rabies was euthanized and removed from a property on Meadowview Terrace on Tuesday. Risko said there were no exposures and no testing was required.
A Stray Horse
A stray brown and white horse was seen in the 600-block of Wheeler Road on April 19, but officers could not find it.
Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said there are three horse owners on that part of Wheeler Road, but that neither were missing a horse.
An Injured Crow
A customer captured an injured crow in the Buffalo Bill's parking lot at 431 Monroe Turnpike at around 7:55 Tuesday morning. It was brought to the Audubon Society for care, according to police.
In an unrelated incident, a dead bird was found in a yard on Block Farm Road Monday. The cause of death is unknown, police said.
Scratches, a Damaged iPhone
A woman suffered a scratch and her iPhone was damaged after she was knocked over when three dogs got loose on Old Fish House Road Saturday evening.
The dogs were returned to their owner, who was issued a written warning for nuisance first offense, a roaming dog violation and a $75 ticket for failure to license dogs.
