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Brooklyn’s raccoons now have their very own Cruella De Vils: City Councilmen Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) and Domenic Recchia (D–Coney Island), who have sponsored a bill that would require the city to remove the masked critters, whether they’re rabid or not.

The bill, introduced on Dec. 6, would order the city’s Center for Animal Care and Control to take away any raccoon after a complaint by a city resident.

Gentile was quick to say he’s not calling for a raccoon hunt.

“We’re not advocating that any raccoons be put down unless they’re rabid,” said Gentile. “We are advocating that peoples’ homes and property not be destroyed due to a raccoon infestation.”

As The Brooklyn Papers reported in November, there has been a spike in raccoon sightings, from Carroll Gardens to Bay Ridge. The reaction to the furry creatures has been decidedly mixed, with some Brooklynites avoiding their backyards, and others growing enamored of the bushy-tailed creatures.

Now, animal lovers are crying foul.

“All the raccoons want to do is survive,” said Bob Zink, who runs a wildlife rehabilitation center on Staten Island and routinely works with the city to heal injured raccoons.

“This is disturbing,” added Zink. “Why don’t we kill all the birds? They defecate all over the place. Where does the city draw the line?”

Aside from the ethical implications inherent in removing a species from its environment, there would also be legal issues.

The Parks Department prohibits the “abuse” or “removal” of animals on public land, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation only allows homeowners to remove raccoons that are destroying property.

Zink promised a battle: “Boy, would I fight this one. Raccoons don’t know about property rights!”

©2006 Community Newspaper Group