Germany has a serious problem with raccoons: today it is estimated there are more than raccoons in the country 2 million. Let’s talk about one invasive species of North American origin which, although it may soften us with its appearance, is causing quite a few headaches: their number has grown at least 60 times in the last 25 years, putting local ecosystems at serious risk, especially in the eastern portion of the country. THE Raccoons are not aggressive animals by nature, although they can become so if they feel cornered or threatened, direct attacks on humans, however, remain rare events. However, one question remains: how did this animal that we are used to seeing in American woods arrive in Germany?
The arrival of raccoons in Germany
The North American raccoon (Procyon lotor), as the name suggests, is a native animal of North America and before 1900 there was no trace of it in Europe. The first ones specimens were imported into the 1930s of the last century as exotic animals to breed for furs or as an attraction for children zoo. The problem is that over time some specimens were released into the wild. We know for sure that a first release of these animals in Germany took place in 1934, when a pair of raccoons were voluntarily released near Lake Edersee to “enrich the local fauna”. The second episode instead dates back to [1945 when 25 animals escaped from a fur farm in Brandenburg.
The problem is that this animal, being an alien species, has adapted too well to this new environment, managing to reproduce extremely rapidly – especially in the eastern portion of the country.
The situation of raccoons in Germany and where they are found in Europe
Currently in Germany there are approx 2 million raccoonsalthough we are not aware of their exact number. If we look at the image below we can see the areas with the greatest concentration, which correspond precisely to the places where these animals were released into nature in 1934 and in [1945
To date, therefore, the raccoon in Germany is a far from negligible problem, given that it is one invasive species can cause extensive damage to ecosystems. To try to stem their spread, between 2023 and 2024 over 239 thousand specimens: this is a value 18% higher than that of the previous year.
In reality this is not just a German problem: as clearly visible from the map, numerous specimens of raccoons can also be found in France and in the rest of theCentral-Northern Europealthough in smaller numbers.
