Raccoons (Procyon lotor) Arrive in Fort Frances

Timothy McKillop wrote:

Observation: The common raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a common mammal throughout much of southern and central Ontario, but until recently they were not seen in the northwest portion of the province. At the turn of the nineteenth century, the northernmost boundary of raccoon distribution was south of the Canada – United States borde. Since the early part of the 21st century, raccoons have been seen west of Lake Superior and are now endemic to new areas such as Fort Frances. It has been suggested that raccoon range expansion has followed an increase in availability of food. This is due in part to global warming, which affects not only the availability and diversity of foods but also the duration of the growing season. I was working in the area when a racoon was blamed for causing a power outage.

Consult: Ken Deacon, an entomologist with the Thunder Bay Health Unit states that several new species have arrived in northwestern Ontario. Raccoons, grey squirrels and ground hogs now call this region home. From a management perspective, the diseases associated with these mammals, such as rabies and mange are now a concern. Ken believes black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and the risk from Lyme disease is a bigger concern. The first report of black-legged ticks in Thunder Bay came in 2003. This species have always been carried on birds; therefore, they should have been here all along but were not. The factor that has changed, in his opinion, is winter weather. Populations are now endemic and no longer have to rely on birds for transportation.

Tom Okey, LEO BC Coordinator, wrote:

The iNaturalist database can be consulted to determine if observations of the common raccoon are unusual in Fort Frances and the Couchiching First Nations. The Common Raccoon map does seem to indicate that these observations are at the edge of the range of observations in this database. However, consulting the Common Raccoon page indicates that their demarked range extends considerably further north. I recommend examining the methods iNaturalist used to demarcate that range. Based on this information, the suggestion of Timothy Mckillop that these sightings are unusual in these areas needs more narrative description and some further investigation.