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They topple green bins like it’s nothing, lift up freshly laid sod and lie quietly in wait of barbecue droppings under backyard picnic tables.

In a dog-eat-dog world, Toronto’s most adorable menace might think they’re just doing what it takes to survive — even, it turns out, stare down Rob Ford.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Rob Ford makes a new enemy, says he has been in 'standoffs' with fearless raccoons outside his home Back to video

“I’ve had some stand-offs with some raccoons,” the mayor told reporters at city hall on Monday.

“Seriously, they just look at you, and they’re not scared anymore. It used to be you could yell or scream at them, [now] they just look at you. I mean, right up to my front door.”

His nine-year old daughter “starts freaking.” His wife won’t go outside to take out the trash. “It’s like we have to make deals, who is going to go out and put out the garbage at night, because they’ll just sit there.”

The mayor is hardly the first political animal to sound off against raccoons, who are a perennial nuisance for homeowners when the weather gets warm. Councillor David Shiner’s claim that their population is “exploding” prompted the licensing and standards committee on Monday to ask staff to report back on what can be done to control the growth.