Pet Owners Being Warned of ‘Zombie Raccoons’

Police in the Chicago area are telling pet owners to beware of “zombie raccoons.”

They’re referring to raccoons with the distemper virus, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The animals sometimes “walk on their hind legs, stagger and bare their teeth,” according to the newspaper. That gives them a zombie-like appearance.

There have been three reports in Riverside, according to that community’s police department.

Distemper is a serious disease for dogs. Dogs are routinely vaccinated against the virus, but unvaccinated canines can experience a variety of symptoms, from sneezing to lethargy to seizures.

The American Kennel Club describes distemper as “highly contagious and potentially lethal.”

Read more at Chicago Tribune