to fend off a raccoon invasion.

以抵禦浣熊的入侵。

The masked critters were everywhere,

蒙面的小動物到處都是。

pooping on porches, stopping traffic,

在門廊上拉屎，阻止交通。

and infesting attics, and they're not

和侵擾閣樓，他們不是。

just taking over Toronto.

剛剛接管多倫多。

Reports of raccoon vandalism have plagued cities

浣熊破壞行為的報道困擾著各城市。

like Portland, Chicago, and New York City,

如波特蘭、芝加哥和紐約市。

and as raccoon-ridden cities know,

而浣熊出沒的城市都知道。

we can't seem to stop them.

我們似乎無法阻止他們。

Between the 1930s and 1980s, the US raccoon population

在20世紀30年代至80年代期間，美國貉的數量為

increased twentyfold, and it's still going strong.

增加了二十倍，而且現在還在繼續。

From 2014 to 2015, raccoon complaints

2014年至2015年，貉子投訴

in Brooklyn nearly doubled,

在布魯克林幾乎翻了一番。

so how are these masked bandits making it in big cities?

那麼這些蒙面匪徒是怎麼在大城市裡混的呢？

Well, for starters, they can digest just about anything

好吧，首先，他們可以消化任何東西。

from fish and acorns in the forest

漁樵耕讀

to dog food and pizza on the street,

到街頭的狗糧和披薩。

and just like humans, raccoons usually prefer the pizza,

就像人類一樣，浣熊通常更喜歡吃披薩。

which is why they flock from woodland

所以他們才會從林子裡湧出來

to city in the first place.

到城市的第一時間。

In Brooklyn, for example, captured raccoons sometimes

例如，在布魯克林，捕獲的浣熊有時會

get relocated to Prospect Park and nearby forests,

搬遷到展望公園和附近的森林。

but wildlife biologists report they often head right back

但野生生物學家報告說，他們經常會直接回去

to the dumpster-packed city streets.

到垃圾箱堆積的城市街道。

It's just about impossible to stop them,

要想阻止他們，簡直是不可能的。

as Toronto discovered after it spend millions

多倫多花了幾百萬後發現

on raccoon-proof waste bins.

關於防浣熊的垃圾桶。

Unlike traditional bins, the lids had special gravity locks,

與傳統的垃圾箱不同，箱蓋有特殊的重力鎖。

which open when a garbage truck arm

當垃圾車的手臂打開時

turns the bin upside down.

將垃圾箱倒置。

The idea was that if you cut off their major food source,

這個想法是，如果你切斷他們的主要食物來源，

they would skip town, but that didn't happen.

他們會逃出城去，但這並沒有發生。

In fact, one year later, a wildlife-control business

事實上，一年後，一家野生動物控制企業。

reported that raccoon-related work had doubled.

報告說，與浣熊有關的工作增加了一倍。

Finally, a clever raccoon was caught on camera

最後，一隻聰明的浣熊被拍到了。

jailbreaking the new bin.

越獄的新賓。

How did she outwit an entire city?

她是如何智取整個城市的？

Well, study after study has revealed that raccoons

好吧，一項又一項的研究表明，浣熊...

are considerably smarter than your average medium-sized

比一般的中型企業要聰明得多。

critter. Turns out raccoon brains have more neurons packed

小動物。原來浣熊的大腦裡有更多的神經元，裝滿了

into their brains than other animals of the same size.

進入他們的大腦比其他相同大小的動物。

In fact, they have the same neuron density as primates,

事實上，它們的神經元密度和靈長類動物一樣。

who are notoriously smart, and their clever brains help

他們是出了名的聰明人，他們聰明的大腦有助於

explain why raccoons can open complex locks,

解釋為什麼浣熊能打開復雜的鎖。

solve puzzles with ease, and even come up with solutions

解題得心應手，甚至想出解題方法

to problems that scientists didn't think of.

到科學家們沒有想到的問題。

Add to that their ultrasensitive hands,

再加上他們那雙超敏感的手。

er, paws, which have four times as many sensory receptors

呃，爪子，它的感覺受體數量是四倍

as their feet. This helps them to feel subtle textures

作為他們的腳。這有助於他們感受微妙的紋理

like special trashcan lids in Toronto

像多倫多的特殊垃圾桶蓋

and even open locks without looking.

甚至不經意間就能開鎖。

And unfortunately for us,

而不幸的是，我們。

driving them away is a fool's errand.

驅趕他們是一個愚蠢的任務。

Studies show that after mass removal,

研究表明，大規模清除後。

populations tend to rebound

人口回升

to their previous levels in a year.

一年內達到以前的水準。

After all, females can start giving birth

畢竟，女性可以開始生育

at just 1 year old and can have as many as eight kits

1歲就可以擁有8個包的數量

in a single year.

在一年內。

This quick breeding is also why experts say mass cullings

這種快速繁殖也是為什麼專家們說大規模撲殺的原因

aren't a long-term solution.

並不是一個長期的解決方案。

And while they're awfully cute,

雖然他們非常可愛。

the damage they can cause is not.

它們所能造成的損害並不。

When raccoons nest in buildings,

當浣熊在建築物中築巢時。

they can destroy insulation,

它們會破壞絕緣層。

chew up wires, and tear holes through walls,

咬斷電線，撕開牆壁的洞。

and it can cost you hundreds or even thousands

而它可以花費你幾百甚至幾千

of dollars to repair that kind of damage.

的美元來修復這種損害。

One raccoon was even caught

甚至有一隻浣熊被抓到

destroying over $3,000 worth of artwork,

毀掉了價值3000多元的藝術品。

and just removing them can cost $300 to $500 a pop.

而僅僅是去除它們，就可以花費300到500元一個。

Plus, the poop they leave behind can contain roundworms

另外，它們留下的糞便可能含有蛔蟲。

and other parasites, which can enter your lungs

和其他寄生蟲，它們可以進入你的肺部。

when you breathe or get tracked into your home by your pets.

當你呼吸或被你的寵物追蹤到你的家。

Even worse, raccoons can transmit diseases

更糟糕的是，浣熊會傳播疾病。

like canine distemper and, in rare cases, rabies.

如犬瘟熱，以及在極少數情況下，狂犬病。

So it's understandable that cities are trying

所以可以理解，各城市都在努力做到

to find some way, any way, to manage them.

找到一些方法，任何方法，來管理它們。

Can't do a thing about it, just chase them off.

沒辦法，只能把他們趕走。

They come back.

他們回來了。

Narrator: If nothing else, it's a lesson learned.

旁白：如果沒有別的事的話，這也是一個教訓。

We may have built the cities,

我們可能已經建立了城市。

but we don't necessarily rule them.

但我們不一定要統治他們。