It swims and climbs very well and poses a threat to Polish fauna

Naturalists from the Warta Mouth National Park have been observing, researching and trying to limit the expansion of the raccoon for many years (Procyon lotor). This predator comes from North America. Once bred as a fur animal, it came to Poland from Brandenburg, Germany, where it is now a very big problem. – In Germany, this species was introduced several times, releasing several individuals into the environment. Similar activities were also carried out in the Czech Republic and Belarus. Currently, among our western neighbors, the number of raccoons is estimated at about 1.5 million individuals, but there are also estimates that the number is even over two million. Regular, large-scale shootings have been carried out in this country for several years. More than 20,000 individuals are shot every year – said Robert Zdrojewski, deputy director of the “Ujście Warty” National Park.

Zdrojewski added that in Poland the raccoon population is still much smaller, but it is growing rapidly. Currently, however, there are no sources that would provide even conservative estimates of the number of this species in our country. However, a map of the species' distribution prepared by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection is available. – There are no studies on the raccoon population. The last ones were carried out in 2011, among others, in the “Ujście Warty” National Park. This year, we applied for co-financing of research on the raccoon to the Forest Fund, and perhaps this substitute for research will provide the basis for conducting a comprehensive analysis of the species, its migrations, and perhaps developing an effective and inexpensive method of combating it, said Zdrojewski. In the province in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, raccoons are becoming more and more common. The ideal habitat for this clever predator in this region is, among others, National Park “Ujście Warta”. Every year in Lubuskie, outside urbanized areas, hunters shoot approximately 4.5 thousand raccoons; Shelling is the main and most effective method of combating the spread of this invasive species.

Raccoons are omnivorous and take advantage of any opportunity to obtain easy food. During the breeding season, the “Ujście Warta” is teeming with plenty of food. At the appropriate level of flood waters, birds building nests in breeding colonies create clusters of nests from several dozen to several thousand. This is quite a treat for the raccoon. – Regardless of where the birds' nests are located, the raccoon is able to find them on land, in tree holes and in the crowns of trees. When the breeding season ends and autumn comes, raccoons often change their feeding place and head to human settlements, where they penetrate orchards, garbage cans, hen houses, and pets' bowls – said Zdrojewski. Raccoons are now found not only in western Poland. Single individuals are observed in the central and eastern parts of our country. According to Zdrojewski, it is not only the natural spread of the raccoon that comes from Germany. – Before the Act of August 2021 on Alien Species came into force, a raccoon was an animal that could be bought in a pet store and bred as a pet. Everything is fine as long as it is a small and funny animal. When it grows (even over 10 kilograms), its ego and manual skills are so great that they become burdensome for many owners – which in turn ends with the owner often releasing the animal into nature – said Zdrojewski. He added that this way of spreading the species is also very likely. It started similarly with our western neighbors, where a few individuals were released into the wild. Naturalists have no doubt that the rapidly growing and unthreatened raccoon population is beginning to pose a serious threat to biodiversity.

This predator is an excellent climber and swimmer, which makes it easy to obtain food. It hunts various species – from invertebrates to vertebrates, and thanks to high reproduction and low mortality, it is able to maintain a well-functioning population in each new place.

There is also a threat to humans. Raccoons are carriers of many pathogens and parasites, including: scabies, echinococcosis tapeworm, trichinella, rabies or raccoon roundworm, which can cause severe disability or death of a person. In order to limit the raccoon population, the above-mentioned shooting and catching in live traps are carried out, and then euthanized by a veterinarian. However, the raccoon is an intelligent animal, it learns quickly and recognizes threats. His manual skills and strength allow him to free himself from such a trap. In the “Ujście Warty” National Park, naturalists catch raccoons in traps twice a year, before the breeding season and after the breeding season – in autumn. However, their effectiveness is unsatisfactory, as they manage to catch up to a dozen or so individuals a year. Shooting is also carried out by designated hunters. This year, they shot 140 raccoons in this national park. – It is necessary to introduce programs and incentives to involve as many organizations, local governments and institutions dealing with nature protection as possible in the campaign to combat the raccoon – noted Zdrojewski. Invasive alien species (IGO) are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are not native to local ecosystems and may cause damage to the environment or economy and have a negative impact on humans. In Poland, at the top of their list in the group of mammals are the raccoon and the American mink.