A 74-year-old, seriously injured by raccoons when she tried to shoo them away from her central Florida home, remains hospitalized, authorities said Monday.

Gretchen Whitted, of Lakeland, was in stable condition Monday, two days after she saw a family of raccoons near her back patio. She told rescue personnel she tried to wave the animals away; a few minutes later, she spotted them at her front door and tried to run them off again. Then they attacked.

Whitted fell, and the five animals bit and clawed at her, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

“They enveloped her,” the sheriff said.

A neighbour called for help after hearing the woman’s cries and seeing her covered in blood.

She was taken to a hospital with extensive cuts from her neck to her legs.

“We’re not talking about a lot of little bites here,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “She was filleted.”

Whitted received dozens of staples and sutures and was treated for rabies, though officials doubt the animals were infected.

Fire crews flooded nearby drains to drive the animals out, but none appeared.

Animal control officers hope to catch them using cat food and sardines as bait.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/world/2009/10/05/11312421.html

---wowie

Wow. That would have been horrifying! D:

Haha, what a bunch of jerks.

hahah

Why on EARTH would she even try2 shoo it away?! They r mean

My best friend was chased by 1 when she had a paper route and got on her car which was funni

because like most human beings, when they dont want something on their property, they usually shoo it away.

Really? U don't say *saracasim*

Holy sheet.
I'll never look at Raccoons the same way again.

This is why you shouldn't let racoons have easy access to any kind of garbage/food (especially cat or dog food) that may be around, or in, your house. They get too comfortable with humans and then begin to expect to be fed, even when that may not be the intention of the house owner.

Wow that is so crazy! I never liked raccoons anyways, and if I saw them I ran away lol.

Everyone always made fun of me for being scared of raccoons, I always knew they were evil! Can't trust something with eyes like that!

I'm honestly not surprised. I was chased by a raccoon once when I had a job as a newspaper delivery person. They have sharp teeth and can be very aggressive. They even attacked my great dane mix before (he had wounds all over his face). I definitely don't like them. My fiancee thinks they're so cute because at her college, the students feed the raccoons and they will come up and get food out of your hand. She thinks it's so adorable. I think it's dangerous.

The situation like the one with your fiancee is a reason some people get attacked. Raccoons and other wild animals like them should never be brought around large groups of people, "cute" or not. We never know how they'll react or if they'll come back rabid!

I agree. Too many risks when messing around with wildlife. Wildlife should stay just what they are: WILD LIFE. People need to stop feeding them, allowing them to become dependent on people or worse: not afraid of people.

R u kidding me?! Feeding them?! Whhhyyyyy????? I could see it now ur finacee laughing at u abt the story! Cuz I sure did when u told me!!

Because it's cute to feed them, I guess. Lindsay says she wants a baby raccoon and raise it, it's so cute, etc. (She's obviously not serious about owning one) and I just give her that look because I have had nothing but bad experience with them.

Mannn when I c her imma gonna say "a BABY RACCOON 2 RAISE,!?" And so on lol

But I guess IF 1 raise 1 how bad can it be? I wouldn't wanna own 1 lol

I guess if you raised it from a baby, it'd be tame..But I'm not trusting anything that is supposed to be wild.

my ex-boyfriend's family raised baby raccoons. he said that they're tame but you have to get them before their eyes are even opened or they'll already be mean. i don't think it's worth it. you just never know if they're going to turn on you or not.

Wow... I agree with you, you never know with wildlife if they will turn on you or not. Raccoons have sharp teeth. Definitely shouldn't be messed around with.

Hah filleted.

i found that an odd choice of words also ;D

Oh good, I wasn't the only one then. lol

This is HORRIBLE. Seriously - can you imagine the pain while these animals where basically eating her alive? Or attempting too? They should all be shot.

.....
My mom has been leaving cat food out for the raccoons for about a week.
Hahahahaha.