Raccoons and jumping - Ask Extension
Can raccoons jump? If so, how high?
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Raccoons and jumping #117689
Asked March 17, 2013, 12:18 AM EDT
Can raccoons jump? If so, how high?
Deschutes County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi there and thank you for your question.
Raccoons are better known for climbing just about anything, but they can jump or leap relatively short distances, especially horizontally. (You can even find 1 or more YouTube nightvision videos of them hopping between two tables.) I honestly do not know what their maximum vertical hop might be. If you need to keep something such as a bird feeder out of a raccoon's reach, either mount it on a smooth pole with a baffle or hang it from something that the raccoon cannot reach. For example, if you're hanging a bird feeder from a hook on your roof eaves, make sure there are no overhanging branches from which a raccoon could jump to reach the roof, then the eaves, then the food.
I hope this information is helpful,
Dana
Raccoons are better known for climbing just about anything, but they can jump or leap relatively short distances, especially horizontally. (You can even find 1 or more YouTube nightvision videos of them hopping between two tables.) I honestly do not know what their maximum vertical hop might be. If you need to keep something such as a bird feeder out of a raccoon's reach, either mount it on a smooth pole with a baffle or hang it from something that the raccoon cannot reach. For example, if you're hanging a bird feeder from a hook on your roof eaves, make sure there are no overhanging branches from which a raccoon could jump to reach the roof, then the eaves, then the food.
I hope this information is helpful,
Dana
