How To Get an Animal Out of a Tree

08.01.2006 - The man in this photograph is not me.  In fact, it might not be a man at all - more like a monkey.  I'd never make a climb this high or dangerous, let alone with a snare pole in hand, let alone back down with a struggling raccoon on the end!  But that's what my friend Sean did to catch this raccoon in a tree.  The customer called because this particular raccoon has been causing trouble.  Breaking into the attic, tipping over the garbage can, and always out and about during the day threatening her dogs, and so on.  So when she saw it, Sean came out to catch it, and it ran up a tree.

So Sean ran up the tree after it.  The raccoon kept climbing higher and higher, so Sean just kept climbing higher and higher.  Finally, the raccoon could climb no higher.  Even though it was at a perilous height and the branches were thin, Sean went all the way to the top of the tree after this animal, and got it with his snare pole.  The climb down, as suspected, was harrowing, with a struggling raccoon on a pole.

I personally wouldn't do a job this dangerous.  I would have set a trap or two.  But Sean is a nut.  It's been my experience that animals in trees are very difficult to remove.  They are high up, the trees are precarious, and they can run around from branch to branch in a far more agile manner than a person can.  It's a testament to Sean's skill and persistence that he got this animal.

If you have an animal in a tree that you want removed, such as a cat, perhaps it's best to call the local fire department, or perhaps Sean.  If you call me, unless it's a doable case, I'm not going to kill myself to get the animal.  I'll set traps and wait for the animal to come to me.

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