Videos have circulated online of people playing with coyotes and foxes, or keeping raccoons and skunks as pets, making them seem cute and approachable. Those videos are the exceptions from the norm, and these animals should be left alone. That list of animals comprises four of the five ranked most likely to transmit rabies in the United States. Wild animals are also responsible for spreading diseases like salmonella, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, roundworms, Tularemia, West Nile Virus, plague, and more. Contact, even indirectly with the animals, puts you at risk. They leave feces, and urine spread about as they travel, potentially passing you the disease with an inadvertent touch. 

 

Apart from diseases, wild animals can be still dangerous. It is a mistake to think we can trust them, as they do not hold loyalty to people and can turn at any time. While everything may appear fine one second, the smallest movement may set them off for reasons you may not understand. 

 

If you see a baby animal alone, it’s natural to fear for its safety and want to help. Some animals, like foxes, build nests under decks or in sheds. If you see a baby fox by your house and believe it’s in distress and decide to take it in, you may be stealing it from its nest. Michigan is home to two species of the fox: Red and Gray. Both are very territorial and incredibly defensive of their young. Even if you have the animal’s best intentions at heart, you could put yourself at risk of attack by the parents. That’s scary for you and the family of animals you thought you were protecting. Foxes also eat small mammals, and they could view your other pets as a nice meal. 

 

People often take a similar approach if they encounter a wolf or coyote. Due to the resemblance, we are tricked into thinking they’re just different forms of the domesticated dog. Where the dogs we call pets are playful and loving, their wild counterparts can be vicious and dangerous. There are reports of hospitalizations from wolf attacks; even when there was no intentional interaction. Scientists say to avoid animals like coyotes and wolves altogether. Coyotes have killed multiple people in the United States and many pets.

 

Raccoons, opossums, and skunks are also gaining popularity as unlikely companions. That, too, can be a significant mistake. These animals dig through trash and filth, spreading the bacteria from their scavenging around wherever they walk. Opossums can weight up to 15 pounds and have 50 razor-sharp teeth. Raccoons are even bigger and have vicious claws, and skunks are feared for their ability to unleash a putrid stink bomb and charge at you. Just a threat can unleash the fury of these three creatures.

 

There is also the quality of life of the animal itself. You might think you’re benefiting the creature, but after a time, you’d be limiting and trapping the animal. They are used to roaming free and living on their terms. In a confined space, with extremely different habitat, their lifelong hunting patterns are taken away, and everything they know is flipped upside down. Stripping a creature of its freedom to keep as a pet is unjust. These animals need specialized care and different nutrients that you may not be aware of or be able to provide.

 

Beyond the countless threats to your health and safety, these animals pose, they are also illegal to keep as pets. If you are caught with one in Michigan, you face fines and even jail time as punishment.

If you encounter a wild animal, you should call an expert to make sure the creature is handled correctly. It takes an expert like those at Stratex Pest Control to lure the animal in, get it out, and then work with you to figure out what sort of precautionary measures will be necessary to keep the animal from returning. Stratex Pest is locally owned and operated and has dedicated technicians who are certified to use state-of-the-art equipment and treatment. That ensures that each time you call us, you’ll get a sincere, devoted, and enthusiastic employee who will work tirelessly to make sure the job gets done quickly and thoroughly.