Health Department: 6 Rabid Raccoons Found In New York City

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Health Department officials on Friday issued a raccoon warning after finding six of the critters that tested positive for rabies.

Four of the rabid raccoons were found around Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park.

The other two were found in the South Bronx and Staten Island.

“These are not animals that are showing signs of aggression, chasing after people or other pets,” the department’s Dr. Sally Salvinski said. “Typically it’s just an animal that looks really sick, or having trouble walking around… very rarely will we have a raccoon that shows signs of severe aggression and start to attack.”

Three years ago, CBS2 found packs of raccoons gathered in Central Park because people were feeding them. Health officials say the ones found this year were the first rabid raccoons found in Manhattan in eight years.