A woman in Poulsbo, Washington, has been feeding the raccoons that live near her home for 35 years without incident. But in recent months, the raccoon population in the area has exploded, with more and more of the animals gathering around her home, waiting day and night for food.

Last week, she had to call 911 when there were so many raccoons on her porch that she couldn’t get into the house.

“We were shocked to see them, estimated to be more than 100. The news that someone was feeding them seemed to have spread throughout the ‘kingdom of raccoons’. They all came to her house to ask for food,” Kevin McCarty, a local police spokesman, told the media on October 8.

This is the first time the locality has recorded a case of people being “surrounded” by raccoons. American raccoons are a species with a high risk of carrying rabies and roundworms. “Luckily, no one was bitten or scratched,” said McCarty.

“Despite the large numbers of people who come to beg, they seem to be very law-abiding. At this point, we have determined that the raccoons have not committed any crimes,” McCarty joked.

But the woman’s neighbors were not very pleased with the bears.

“I’ve noticed more and more raccoons in the neighborhood. My dogs have been fighting with raccoons many times. I even had to take one to the vet after a fight. I hope the authorities will intervene and resolve the problem, and I also hope she stops feeding the raccoons,” said a neighbor.

Spokesperson McCarty said this is a prime example of why people should not feed wild animals.

“It’s simple. Wildlife will go where they know there’s a reliable food source. That’s what these raccoons did,” he said. Local police worked with the Washington State Department of Wildlife to handle the Poulsbo woman’s case.

Despite their cute appearance, raccoons can cause serious damage. Last week, a pack of raccoons broke into a family’s $1.2 million Brooklyn home, defecating everywhere, causing more than $100,000 in damage. The insurance company refused to pay.