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SEATTLE — Animal news in Washington state has kept locals on their toes this year, with bizarre encounters and unexpected rescues making headlines.
Early in the year, a woman survived a cougar attack near Fall City when her friends jumped in to help. That was just the beginning for animal newsmakers in Washington state.
Here’s where things currently stand with some most attention-grabbing, animal-related stories of 2024:
On Sunday, April 28, the owner of four zebras who was transporting them from Winlock, Washington, to Anaconda, Montana, stopped just off Interstate 90 near North Bend area to fix a problem with the trailer. That’s when the zebras escaped and ran away.
Three of the four were captured within hours. The fourth, a mare named “Sugar,” ran wild in the North Bend and Snoqualmie Valley areas for days. She was frequently spotted by residents and passersby.
On Friday, May 3, Sugar was safely captured near North Bend after private citizens teamed up with animal control officers from Regional Animal Service of King County and other law enforcement.
Animal services investigated the escape. The owner faced potential fines. However, the county ended up not fining or citing the owner, according to Cameron Satterfield, communications manager with the King County Department of Executive Services.
A kinkajou found at a rest stop in central Washington in June ended up going across the country for his new home.
On June 23, the nocturnal rainforest mammal was found at the Selah Creek Rest Area. State officials said it was unclear if the kinkajou was abandoned or escaped.
With the help of Washington state Department of Transportation workers and a cardboard box, state troopers wrangled the kinkajou into a trooper’s vehicle. Fish & Wildlife officers then took it to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
While the kinkajou was undergoing tests, a national search was underway for a permanent home. The Point Defiance Zoo did not have a space that met the kinkajou’s needs.
The kinkajou was moved to Millbrook School’s Trevor Zoo, about a two-hour drive from New York City. His new caretakers named him “Oscar.” He was described as being “a little grouchy,” which is how he got his name.
In October, zoo staff were preparing to introduce Oscar to a female kinkajou, “Mira.”
As of Dec. 24, zoo staff are still slowly introducing Oscar to Mira, according to Kylee Depew, the director of animal care at Trevor Zoo.
“The two of them spend some limited time together daily and are moving towards being together full time,” wrote to KING 5. “Once they are comfortable being together full time, they will move on exhibit and be able to be viewed by the public. Oscar is curious and is engaging in basic training with our keepers.”
In July, Pierce County deputies were led on a wild kangaroo chase in the Parkland/Spanaway area.
It all began when deputies and state troopers were called to a traffic hazard report the morning of Sunday, July 14. When they arrived, they encountered what was initially believed to be a wallaby.
After “several attempts,” the animal was tackled by deputies. Body camera video shared by the department shows one of the attempts, where the animal can be seen hopping away from deputies after trying to corner it.
Following the capture, there was confusion over who actually owned the kangaroo. The sheriff’s department said the animal belonged to Debbie Dolittle’s Petting Zoo and was returned. In a Facebook post, however, the petting zoo said its kangaroo was at the Puyallup fairgrounds that morning for the “reptile expo.”
KING 5 reached out to the sheriff’s department for an update. A public information officer spoke with deputies who were on site during the encounter, and they reported the kangaroo was returned to its owner. However, that was not documented in a police report as the case was not being investigated. Though the incident is documented in the system, no owner information has been added.
Around the end of September, a woman who lives near Poulsbo told law enforcement she couldn’t get into her home because of a raccoon invasion.
Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson for the Kitsap County Sheriff, previously said the woman called deputies because about 100 raccoons outside her home were “demanding food.”
The woman told deputies she started feeding raccoons around her house about 35 years ago without any problems.
Six weeks ago, the population of raccoons “exploded” and the animals surrounded her home day and night hoping for a meal.
Kitsap deputies responded to the woman’s home and were startled by what they saw.
“They were shocked,” McCarty said. “They had never seen that many raccoons in one place. Nobody ever remembers being surrounded by a swarm of raccoons. This was a first.”
Fish & Wildlife took over the case following the initial response.
On Oct. 9, a wildlife conflict specialist for Kitsap County met with the woman, according to Bridget Mire, coastal regional communications specialist for Fish & Wildlife. The woman told them she stopped feeding the raccoons. The raccoons had since left, “so there was no need for removal or euthanasia.”
“We are glad for a positive outcome to this case,” Mire told KING 5.
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