Tourists are Flocking to Central Park to Feed Dozens of Hungry Raccoons

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A hungry pack of raccoons living in Central Park has recently become a must-visit attraction for tourists visiting New York City.

After the sun goes down, a group of about two-dozen raccoons emerge from bushes near the Pond at Central Park to feast on whatever tribute tourists have brought them, reported the New York Times. The raccoons have enjoyed gummy bears, chips and even scored a haul of three-dozen stale bagels brought by a nearby business owner, according to the report.

But the nightly feeding has drawn the ire of the Parks Department, which says that feeding wildlife such as Raccoons can put people in risk.

"Do not feed raccoons or any wildlife you might encounter in parks!" Sarah Aucoin, chief of education and wildlife for the parks department, wrote the Times in an email. "Animals are best observed from a distance — it keeps both them and you safe."

This year three rabid raccoons have been reported in the city, but none of them were found in Central Park, according to Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data. This summer raccoons infested a vacant building in Harlem and harassed residents of West 121st Street.

While the official New York City tourism website does mention the Central Park raccoons, the critters were a must-see for Brazilian visitor Maria Caligaris.

"The Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Bridge," Dr. Caligaris told the New York Times. "And the raccoons."

>>> Read the full New York Times article here.

Photo: David Slater via Flickr/Creative Commons