Panicked woman's 911 call after finding house besieged by 100s of raccoons

A Washington State woman thought nothing of feeding the local raccoons that inhabited the area surrounding her house.

That was until word seemed to spread through the raccoon community that her Poulsbo, Washington home was the hot spot for human food. The woman had been feeding the raccoons for more than 35 years and never saw any problems with it until 100s of them showed up at her front door. The woman, who is not being named, was essentially trapped in her home according to the local sheriff's office.

“Somehow, the word got out in raccoon land and they all showed up to her house expecting a meal,” Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the Kitsap county sheriff, told local NBC station 9News .

• Tennessee man stabs pregnant ex-girlfriend 10 times in third domestic assault in 3 months

• Florida woman 'stabbed boyfriend's children, 10 and 14, after argument over dinner'

When deputies arrived at her residence they were shocked to see the sight of 100s of raccoons surrounding the home seemingly demanding food.

“They were shocked. They had never seen that many raccoons in one place. Nobody ever remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. This was a first,” he told the TV station.

The sheriff's office shared a video of the raccoon gathering on social media and it showed animals sprawling throughout her yard. The Sheriff's office said she was forced to flee in her car from the hoards of raccoons.

Neighbors of the woman have been annoyed about the constant presence of the raccoons, who are often referred to as "trash bandits" due to the dark fur that surrounds their eyes making them resemble stereotypical robbers, and their propensity to get into peoples trash bins.

“I’d say it’s been about the last month or so I’ve noticed it,” Wendy Cronk, who lives nearby, told 9News. “I’ve had several raccoons in the yard recently. My dogs have gotten in a scuffle several times with a raccoon. I’ve even had to take one of my dogs to the vet after tussling with a raccoon. And I’ve also noticed there’s been a lot more hit raccoons up on the main road here.”

She added that she hopes this situation gets resolved soon.

“I just hope that somebody steps in and helps her take care of this problem ... and hopefully she’ll quit doing it,” said Cronk.

Raccoons, although cute looking, can be dangerous to humans and pets as they are known carriers of rabies. According to the CDC, 30% of reported rabies cases were caused by raccoons. It should be noted that there are only about 5 reported cases of rabies in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC. Vaccination of pets has helped diminish cases of the deadly disease since the 1960s. Humans should avoid coming into contact with them and keep their pets away from them as well as keeping them up to date on their vaccinations.

It's not advised for humans to feed wild animals in general as it can disturb their natural diets and habits and hurt the ecosystem by introducing outside elements. While they may have a negative reputation as pests, raccoons play a vital role in the ecosystem as pest controllers as their diet consists of many insects and they also dispose of decomposing animal matter. Bottom line, observe the furry bandits from afar and appreciate their cuteness from the safety of your home, and don't feed them, or you could have a gang of thieves congregating around your home as well.