Watch Researchers Safely Evict a Family of Raccoons From an Attic

Raccoons are highly versatile animals. Though they’re undomesticated and equipped to live in the wild, they also seem to love setting up camp in chimneys and cozy attics. In the past, most methods for dealing with unwanted raccoons involved trapping and euthanizing them. But now, researchers in Washington D.C. are developing a new, more humane method of evicting freeloading raccoons from human dwellings.

In the short National Geographic video “How to Evict Your Raccoon Roommates,” Senior Scientist for Wildlife at the Humane Society John Hadidian explains the clever trick he’s developed to safely remove raccoons from people's homes. Hadidian’s method—which is showcased in the video—involves waiting for the raccoon parents to leave, then moving their babies outside until they return. Hadidian sees it as a simple, effective, and more compassionate solution.

“There’s still a lot of misunderstanding out there,” Hadidian tells National Geographic. “The more we know about raccoons, the more we learn, the more understanding and accepting we can become.”

[h/t National Geographic]

Banner Image Credit: National Geographic, YouTube