Diseases from Wildlife

Enjoy watching animals from a safe distance. Touching wild animals may harm you or the animal.

In  the State of Kansas, it is against the law for you to own any wild animals without a permit. However, people sometimes come into contact with these animals. Like other animals, wild animals can get diseases.

Some of these diseases, can cause illness in people. Since wild animals (including monkeys, raccoons, and skunks) can carry diseases that are dangerous to people, direct contact with wildlife is discouraged.


Some of these diseases are as follows:

Brucella canis Infection (brucellosis): A bacterial disease associated with bison, deer, and other wild animals.




Plague Infection (Yersinia pestis Infection): A rare bacterial disease associated with wild rodents and fleas.


Raccoon Round Worm: A parasitic disease associated with raccoons.