Urban Wildlife Woes: The Raccoon Dilemma in Toronto

This week, with all of the wrappers and candy scattered around after Halloween, we're revisiting a episode from 2023 about Toronto's so-called trash bandits. Enjoy!  

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One hundred years ago, raccoons were so rare in Toronto, that a mysterious creature rummaging in a garbage bin warranted a newspaper report. Today, raccoons are basically the city's mascot—literally, the creatures are on all sorts of Toronto memorabilia. The war Toronto waged on raccoons spanned decades, with no end of amusing skirmishes. But it's abundantly clear that it's over. The raccoons won, the people lost, and now we just try to protect our garbage and hope the mess isn't too bad. 

This is how Toronto became the raccoon capital of the world—gradually, then suddenly.

GUEST: Amy Dempsey, senior writer, The Toronto Star

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