Raccoon encounters on the rise

Aug 30, 2019 | 12:00 PM

Conservation officers in the Okanagan are reporting a spike in raccoon encounters with pets.

Chris Doyle, Deputy Chief with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said a recent attack occurred when a pet owner tried to protect her dog from a raccoon.

The pet owner suffered a minor injury to her hand.

Doyle did not say which community the incident took place in.

Meantime, the Conservation Service says 31,000 boats and other watercraft have been inspected for invasive mussels this year.

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Fourteen of the boats were found to be contaminated with mussels and were quarantined.

The inspection stations are at entry points into B.C. from the U.S. and Alberta, and are designed to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels from other provinces and states into B.C. waterways.

“It’s critical those boats not enter the water. That’s why we have the inspection stations at all the crossings. Over half the people that have stopped at the stations this year were aware of the issue,” Doyle told a media tele-conference.

Doyle said 63 violation tickets have been issued to people transporting boats that failed to stop at the inspection stations.

by Pete McIntyre

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