Nearly 100 raccoons that had inundated a North Kitsap residence dispersed after the homeowner stopped feeding them—so they didn’t have to be euthanized.

The woman had been feeding raccoons for nearly four decades around her home off Miller Bay Road. A wildlife control operator was sent to her property Oct. 9 to assess the situation, Bridget Mire of the Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

The homeowner has stopped feeding the raccoons, and the operator did not see any raccoons or human-provided food sources during his visit, therefore there was no need to euthanize any raccoons. “We are glad for a positive outcome to this case,” Mire said. “Removing attractants and avoiding feeding wildlife is one of the best ways to prevent conflict.”

Feeding raccoons has led to major problems in many communities. A few years ago in Olympia, for example, people feeding raccoons led to some of them killing family cats. Residents covertly turned to using guns to end that problem.

“We discourage people from feeding wildlife, as this causes them to lose their natural fear of people, which can lead to aggression. It also draws animals together, possibly mixing healthy and sick animals and spreading diseases among them. Some wildlife, like raccoons, can carry diseases that may be transmissible to people and pets. Feeding wildlife also may attract predators, such as coyotes and bears,” Mire said.

The homeowner initially asked the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office for help Oct. 3, but deputies referred the woman to DFW. The woman told deputies that the raccoons started showing up in big numbers about six weeks ago and surrounded her home day and night demanding food. She was reportedly forced to run away in her car, KCSO says in a social media video.