Silenced

August 17, 2025

Rochester, Minn (RSTN) — Zombie Coon and illegal hunting off-season prompts further investigation.

Published in the Rochester Sun Times News on August 17, 2025, at 5:13 PM CDT
By Lisa Loucks-Christenson, Lisa Investigates

The Silent Scream: Unraveling Rochester’s Zombie Raccoon Mystery
By Lisa Loucks-Christenson, Investigative Reporter, Rochester Sun Times News™

On June 21, 2024, as a thunderstorm crept in over Silver Lake Drive, I documented a downed tree blocking the road—an omen, perhaps, for what was about to unfold. Not far away, an officer fired six rounds at an adult raccoon said to be foaming at the mouth. To this day, there has been no update on rabies testing, and critical questions remain unanswered. The animal was swiftly sensationalized as the “Zombie Raccoon,” a name that has only overshadowed the dignity and struggle this animal endured. As an investigative reporter, I believe these stories deserve careful attention, not fear‐mongering.

Last summer, my “Lisa Investigates” column broke the story, but that was just the beginning. From the first neighborhood alert to today, a pattern of silence and stonewalling has made it clear that we have a problem much larger than one night or one raccoon.

Illegal hunting and trapping continue, with some claiming they’re “thinning the population” and justifying off-season actions by alleging rabies—leaving juvenile raccoons orphaned and the local ecosystem disturbed. On my property in Rochester, and on the public wildlife management area in Whitewater, I’ve found unlawful traps, baiting sites, and even trees used for storing dead birds. I’ve witnessed or intervened in scenes of suffering: a raccoon chewing its foot in a trap, another shot outright, a fox with mange ignored, a dead owl on the highway, orphaned babies fighting for survival.

I once documented a female cougar with three babies, but when I reported it, I was treated like it was a joke. A few weeks later, another news agency reported on a mother cougar with three babies—they didn’t have the footage, but I did. Yet no agency wanted to see it or take it seriously. I was informed that there has never been any documentation of female cougars having babies in Minnesota. Guess what—I had the coverage.

Despite my ongoing reports to law enforcement in the past, nothing was solved. Few officers responded, and the animals kept disappearing. Too many times I waited in subzero cold—sometimes for more than an hour and a half in nearly 30 below—helpless as poaching and other illegal acts occurred nearby. Past attempts at accountability never resulted in effective action or protection.

At the heart of this story is also a chilling encounter when I was detained by a fake conservation officer using someone else’s badge. His lack of knowledge about wildlife, and especially his indifference to photos I presented—including those of a rare pileated woodpecker with a pale beak—reinforced my suspicions. It became clear I was not speaking to someone interested in protecting our ecosystem.

This is still an open, ongoing investigation. Not all the facts are known. The web of silence, neglect, and unanswered questions grows deeper. As I continue this work, I invite anyone with information about illegal hunting, trapping, abandoned animals, agency misconduct, or other wildlife concerns in southeast Minnesota to reach out to me—confidentially.

Your stories, tips, and insights will be held in the strictest confidence. Our wildlife depends on someone listening and speaking out.

—
If you have information or a tip you’d like to share, please contact me directly:
Lisa Loucks-Christenson
Phone: 866-562-5125
Email: news@lisalc.com

This investigation continues.

RochesterSuntimes.com/blogs/silenced

WildlifeProtection #InvestigativeJournalism #RochesterMN #Conservation #AnimalRights #EnvironmentalJustice #RaccoonStory #TransparencyMatters #RochesterSunTimes

Back to blog