Woman, 74, Hospitalized After Being Mauled by Pack of Raccoons

**RaVen Blackehart** · October 5th, 2009, 09:10 AM

LAKELAND, Fla. — A 74-year-old Lakeland woman was hospitalized after being mauled by a pack of raccoons she tried to shoo from her yard.

Gretchen Whitted fell when five raccoons surrounded and attacked, suffering extensive cuts from her neck to her legs.

"We're not talking about a lot of little bites here," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "She was filleted."

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

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

Fire crews flooded nearby drains where some of the animals escaped, but none turned up.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,560150,00.html

**SickenEd** · October 5th, 2009, 09:23 AM

Wow.. I knew raccoons aren't the friendliest of creatures, but, I've never heard of them attacking like that. I hope she recovers quickly.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 5th, 2009, 09:26 AM

As soon as they didn't run off when I tried to get them to shoo away with my broom, I would be scared of 'em. Luckily, I could just ride my broom out of danger.

**sanityslipping** · October 6th, 2009, 07:22 AM

I've always heard coons are mean lil fuckers.... and this just backs that up. They might look cute and cuddly, but I have always believed, they'd take your face off if you let em get close enough... This lady probably has more grit than I do, cuz I would've stayed in my house till they decided to leave on their own

**Coyote** · October 7th, 2009, 10:23 PM

Animal control officers are on the lookout for this gang of
raccoons, who mauled a 74-year-old woman in Florida.

This picture and caption made me laugh. Yes, I know I’m sick.

I hope Ms. Whitted is okay. It looks like the raccoons were protecting their babies; they are very protective of their young.

**sorrow_discord** · October 7th, 2009, 11:28 PM

With my luck with wild life this would happen to me. And yeah if it happens y'all can laugh. One thing though, I hope she gets the rabies shots. (damn those things hurt like a mother f'er too)

**Pete Bondurant** · October 8th, 2009, 04:17 PM

Were these raccoons illegal aliens?

**RaVen Blackehart** · October 8th, 2009, 04:20 PM

What if, instead of raccoons, it had been HYENAS?

**Pete Bondurant** · October 8th, 2009, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by RaVen Blackehart

What if, instead of raccoons, it had been HYENAS?

She would have been completely devoured.

**Pene784** · October 8th, 2009, 04:46 PM

I swear I heard of a similiar case of raccoons attacking an old lady last year too....or maybe it was a fox? Raccoons can be very aggressive in some situations. We had a bunch of raccoons come into our campsite when I was a kid. They were jerks, they ripped all the labels off of our canned goods and unlatched the cooler and stole all of the meat. My Dad just kept ranting at me and my sisters to "latch the cooler for crying out loud" after he ran to town and replinished our supplies. Later that same evening he witnessed the little imps unlatching the cooler and stealing again. Dinner time was very interesting each night as we never knew what was in the cans we were opening. I STILL HATE CAMPING!