Timmins, T.L.*, Podur, J., Arabian, J., Merritt, W., Nigro, J., Wang, W. & Wang, X. “Spatial Patterns of Human-Raccoon Encounters in Toronto”

Abstract: Here we use data provided by AAA Gates Wildlife Control (Gates), a humane animal control company, and the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC), a wildlife rehabilitation centre, to investigate spatial patterns in the occurrence of raccoons encountered on properties as well as patterns of injuries and illnesses across Toronto.  The Gates data were classified into categories based on where raccoons made rest sites, e.g., “in the attic” and the rate of each category per neighbourhood was calculated.  Since the use of rest sites by raccoons may be influenced by young learning from their mothers and because females remain within their mothers’ home ranges, it was expected that clusters of particular rest sites would be observed. This hypothesis was tested using local indicators of spatial association in order to identify significant clusters of rest sites.  Similarly, the TWC dataset was examined in order to assess the occurrence of injuries and illnesses per neighbourhood.