Cannibalism may be a taboo in our western society but it was not and still is not a taboo in some others. As aminals are not self-aware in the way humans are, the idea of not being capable never really came up. Because of that many animals and insects from mice to ants and cockroaches cannibalize their species. Raccoons are no different and are known to be both violent, aggressive and strict carnivores. Cornered and hungry a raccoon will indeed eat an already dead raccoon and, to make it worse, raccoon’s natural tendency after the baby season is for the males to hunt down the babies of other raccoons and eat or kill them. So the concept of cannibalism already exists in raccoon culture, to extend it to eating a dead raccoon is not much of a step from eating babies.
In the winter months food becomes very rare, most raccoons are forced to become omnivores and suffer things like roots and vegetables. However, any sort of meat is safe for a raccoon to eat. They have a gut that is so acidic that even the raccoon roundworms that live in their digestive tract cannot penetrate their bodies. This same round work can kill any other species including humans who are yet to find any sort of cure for it. Raccoons are more than happy to come onto your property and defecate and tear it into your garbage. If you have animal feeders on your property you should remove them as they attract more than birds.
This means a raccoon can essentially eat anything from rotting carry-on to animal waste if they so desire. If you have a raccoon living on your property you can assume that it has dragged many dead animals, garbage and whatever else interested it under your shed or deck or even into your attic. Getting it out is a big process and often requires a professional at-hights trained technician who can cover the entryway with a one-way door, this will allow the raccoon to vacate humanely as they are protected wildlife in Ontario.
It is not much you can do to prevent raccoons from coming to your property. Especially during the winter when food is hard to find. The best way to keep them away is to take away the things they are coming for. Making sure to store your garbage in tightly sealed and locked containers is best and what’s more, is you should not store them outside. If you have a garage store them there and make sure the garage door meets the ground tightly.