Waschbär Lot

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) originates from North America and belongs to the small-bear family Procyonidae. Its history as a Neozoon in Central Europe is well documented from 12 April 1934, when four animals from a fur farm near Wolfhagen were released at the Edersee in Hesse with the intention of enriching the native fauna. A second source of expansion was a group of escaped animals from a fur farm north of Berlin in 1945. From these starting points the species has spread across large parts of Germany and now ranks among the most successful Neozoa in Europe. Since 3 August 2016 the raccoon falls under EU Regulation 1143/2014 on invasive alien species of Union concern. The EU project DAISIE also lists it among the 100 worst invasive species in Europe.

The raccoon is a pronounced habitat generalist. It prefers structurally rich deciduous and mixed forests with old tree stands near water, where it spends the day in tree cavities, rock crevices and abandoned fox or badger dens. At the same time it has adapted to urban environments, using attics, vacant buildings, garages and garden sheds as daytime shelters. In forested settings home ranges typically span 40 to 80 hectares, while in cities one to ten hectares are often sufficient because compost heaps, refuse bins and fallen fruit provide a reliable food supply throughout the year. The raccoon is crepuscular and nocturnal and undergoes a period of winter rest in cold weather, though not true hibernation.

The ecological consequences of its expansion are increasingly recognised. As a skilled climber with a fine sense of smell, the raccoon reaches nests that are inaccessible to many other predators. Studies report impacts on ground-nesting birds such as lapwing, grey partridge, common snipe, corncrake and whinchat, on cavity-nesters such as stock dove, common goldeneye and Eurasian pygmy owl, and on tree-nesting species such as red kite, black stork and honey buzzard. Even cliff-nesters such as Eurasian eagle owl and peregrine falcon appear in its diet. Amphibians like the European tree frog and reptiles like the European pond turtle also fall within its prey spectrum. In the Harz region, marked losses of clutches, juveniles and adult birds of cavity-nesting species have been recorded alongside the spread of the raccoon.

Managing raccoon numbers is therefore a core task of practical conservation hunting. Trapping (Fallenjagd) has proven the most effective method, accounting for roughly 75 percent of the annual harvest, mainly via live-catch box traps. Baits such as dried fruit, nuts or fresh fruit exploit the species' marked preference for sweet foods. Stand hunting (Ansitz) at bait sites, water edges and travel routes is a further classic approach, typically at dusk or with night-vision equipment where state law permits. Burrow hunting (Bauenjagd) with tested earth dogs is used when raccoons occupy underground dens such as abandoned fox or badger setts. Despite steadily rising hunting bags, current harvest intensity does not appear to halt the increase in numbers.

From a hygiene perspective the raccoon must be considered as a potential carrier of zoonoses. The raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis), which parasitises the small intestine, is of particular importance. A single raccoon excretes 20,000 to 26,000 eggs per gram of faeces, and these eggs remain infective in the environment for years. Human infection is rare, with only about 50 clinical cases of baylisascariasis recorded worldwide up to 2021, but can cause severe neurological damage. Canine distemper (Staupe) and rabies are further pathogens of concern. You should therefore always wear disposable gloves when handling carcasses or traps, clean your hands thoroughly and have your hunting dogs dewormed regularly.