Nouvelles
Rabies cases - increased surveillance

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Extension of the ban on transporting certain animals in Estrie and Montérégie

The risk of spreading rabies by moving or relocating animals is very high in Estrie and Montérégie due to cases of rabies discovered in these regions since December 2024. In an apparently healthy animal, the disease may be in its incubation period, and the animal could develop symptoms several weeks or even months after being infected.

As a result, on October 1, 2025, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks announced a further extension of the measures in place to curb the spread of raccoon rabies.

Until December 5, 2025, it will remain prohibited to transport live raccoons, striped skunks, gray and red foxes, coyotes, and their hybrids within the territory of municipalities located near areas where cases of raccoon rabies have been confirmed.

As of October 6, 2025, eight additional municipalities will now be covered by the movement ban:

In Estrie: Maricourt, Valcourt Township, Valcourt, Racine, Bonsecours, and Saint-Denis-de-Brompton;
In Montérégie: Saint-Théodore-d'Acton and Sainte-Christine.
This addition is necessary due to new cases of rabies detected in Quebec, some of which are in a new area, namely the municipality of Stanstead and the surrounding area. See the complete list of affected municipalities.

This measure aims to limit the spread of raccoon rabies in areas considered to be at high risk. It will be reevaluated by the expiration date of the ministerial order implementing it, which is valid for a period of 60 days.

Focus on prevention

Moving an unwelcome, injured, or apparently orphaned animal can contribute to the spread of rabies to areas currently free of cases. It is therefore essential not to relocate animals and to avoid conflicts with them by implementing preventive measures, including the following:

• Use sturdy metal or plastic garbage cans with tight-fitting lids that are kept closed with a latch or elastic band.
• Block openings in buildings and attics, as well as access to the undersides of sheds and porches;
• Avoid leaving food for dogs and cats outside;
• Avoid installing wild bird feeders or use raccoon-proof feeders.
• Properly fence chicken coops and vegetable gardens.

To learn more about best practices for coexisting with wildlife, visit the Cohabiting with Wildlife | Government of Quebec webpage.

Captured animal

If your prevention methods prove unsuccessful, you can capture a nuisance animal, even outside the regulatory hunting and trapping seasons. No authorization is required. However, it is still prohibited to move species covered by the transportation ban. Your options are:

• Release the animal on site;
• Killing the animal (only if it is a nuisance animal and it has not been possible to scare it away or prevent it from causing damage).

Help fight raccoon rabies by reporting suspicious animals

Discovering cases allows wildlife vaccination operations to be adapted to the situation. If you see a raccoon, skunk, or fox in the Estrie or Montérégie regions that shows any of the following signs, report it immediately:

• The animal appears very sick;
• It is dying;
• It appears disoriented;
• It is abnormally aggressive;
• It is paralyzed;
• It is dead, even if it is the result of a collision with a vehicle.

To report a suspicious wild animal, call 1-877-346-6763, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or use the online form.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department's customer service department at 1-877-346-6763.

Thank you for your valuable cooperation.

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