That adorable bandit-mask face, the twinkling eyes, the clever paws, the whole furry huggable animal package. That? Yeah, stay away from it. 

In the past two weeks, the Astoria Police Department has responded to numerous complaints about sick and injured raccoons. Officers recently had to dispose of eight of the animals.

In one case, an officer reported that the raccoon was acting strangly and its fur appeared matted and spiked.

Daniel Smith, of Clatsop County Wildlife Control, who is licensed through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to trap, remove and relocate nuisance wildlife, told police that theres been an outbreak of distemper in the local raccoon populations, said Astoria Assistant Chief of Police Alan Oja.

The city of Astoria contracted with Smith to help police deal safely and humanely with raccoon calls. 

Distemper is a highly contagious disease. It can be transferred to pets through outside food and water dishes places raccoons come for an easy meal or through direct contact with an infected animal.

A lot of people see raccoons and think, Oh what a cute, cuddly thing, but its best to keep your distance, Oja said. 

People need to remember that these are wild animals, he said. 

The take-home message: dont try to pet them or feed them. Call police if you encounter an animal that appears injured or sick.