Are City Raccoons Better Survivors than Wild Raccoons?

When it comes to surviving, raccoons are the experts in the wildlife world. While other wildlife have struggled, these savvy food finders have adapted to suit the new environments created by human activities. Scientists agree that this is due, at least in part, to the highly intelligent nature of raccoons. The high intelligence of these animals is, of course, one of the main reasons raccoon removal is such as complicated tasks for Milwaukee’s property owners.

Rural and Urban Raccoons

City raccoons have adjusted to the fast-paced, noisy and brightly lit life of the city. They dart between moving vehicles on busy streets, make their way into buildings and breach even the most strategically designed garbage bins. The noise doesn’t startle them and neither do the bright lights of the city. Undoubtedly, they’ve developed the skills needed to successfully navigate the space. Rural raccoons have developed a specialized set of skills that ensure that they get to survive in this setting. They are able to grab fruits from trees and source water from natural sources. They evade predators and establish nests using the tools provided by Mother Nature and nothing else.  But are they smarter than urban raccoons or is it the other way around?

The Raccoon Intelligence Question

It is rather difficult to measure the intelligence of the urban raccoon against that of the rural raccoon. Because raccoons are such flexible animals they quickly adapt to all environments; including the urban and rural ones. Flexible features like their omnivorous nature makes it easy for them to tolerate the types of food available in both settings. City raccoons can chow down on fast food and they are pretty bold animals. But are urban raccoons more intelligent than rural ones? The comparison between cities and all that they offer and rural areas is nothing new. People compare the quality of life, citizens and in this case, wildlife species that inhabit these environments. Naturally, therefore, raccoons would be subjected to the same scrutiny.

What the Evidence Says About raccoon Intelligence

Urban raccoons are quicker to detect and adapt to new patterns, according to scientists. This may be due to the fast-paced nature of the city and the speed with which life changes in this setting.  After comparing how raccoons respond to situations presented, in this case, an unfamiliar bin with cat food inside. The problem solving and item manipulation skills of urban raccoons were far superior to those of rural raccoons. In fact the city raccoons attacked the bins immediately while the rural ones were a little more sheepish, taking their time to evaluate the situation before approaching the bin. Evidently, city raccoons are not just smarter; they are also bolder than rural raccoons.

A Possible Reason Behind the City Raccoons’ intelligence

It is easy to see why city raccoon’s intelligence would exceed that of rural ones. In the city, raccoons have access to a greater variety of problems that they need to solve in order to survive. Bins, for example, are frequently redesigned in order to exclude raccoons which means that the foragers have to constantly adjust their thinking and movements in such a way that they are able to get to the food inside. Over time, this constant practice results in animals that are speedier and more creative at problem-solving. Whether they are city citizens or urban dwellers, these foragers can be very difficult to remove from a residence; which is why you’ll need a service provider like Skedaddle with team members who are efficient at humane raccoon removal in both rural and urban settings. Additionally, years of experience plus specialized training and tools make Skedaddle the best option for Milwaukee residents who need to solve their raccoon problems.