At just about every paragraph break in this AP story about raccoons going [exceptionally] wild in Olympia, I kept stopping myself to wonder (1) is this real? and (2) why is the author covering a local pest control problem instead of spinning the story into a 10,000 word piece for the New Yorker:

A fierce group of raccoons in a west end neighborhood has killed 10 cats, attacked a small dog and bitten at least one pet owner … “It’s a new breed,” said Tamara Keeton … “They’re urban raccoons, and they’re not afraid.” [times]

Think of the social commentary! Or the possibilities for a movie spin-off! Wildlife terror dramas are sort of hot right now.

Related posts:

1. Happy Halloween: Animal conspiracies afoot
2. Wildlife Sighting
3. stop the coyotes of capitol hill before they conquer the entire city
4. Seen around town: Eastlake
5. Discontent and Animal Control