The Racoon Invasion Of Germany – Brilliant Maps

The
map
above
shows
how
racoons
(which
are
not
native
to
Europe)
have
slowly
been
spreading
across
Germany.

As
of
2024,
it

was
estimated
that
there
were
over
2
million
racoons
in
the
country,
but
the
government
is
seeking
to
euthanized
them.

Until
coming
across
this
map
I
had
no
idea
that
racoons
could
be
found
anywhere
in
Europe,
let
alone
in
such
big
numbers.

So
how
did
they
get
here?

Their
presence
in
Germany
began
in
the
early
20th
century,
primarily
through
human
introductions.

Below
is
a
brief
overview
of
their
history:

• 
  Early
  Introductions:
  In
  the
  1930s,
  raccoons
  were
  imported
  
  into
  Germany
  mainly
  for
  fur
  farming
  and
  as
  exotic
  animals
  in
  zoos.
• 
  Escape
  and
  Release:
  Whether
  through
  accidental
  escapes
  or
  intentional
  releases,
  these
  animals
  eventually
  made
  their
  way
  into
  the
  wild.
• 
  Post-War
  Expansion:
  After
  World
  War
  II,
  additional
  raccoons
  escaped
  from
  zoos
  and
  fur
  farms,
  further
  bolstering
  their
  numbers.
• 
  Adaptability
  and
  Spread:
  Thanks
  to
  their
  adaptable
  nature
  and
  high
  reproductive
  rates,
  raccoons
  quickly
  established
  themselves
  across
  various
  habitats—from
  dense
  forests
  to
  urban
  areas—especially
  
  in
  eastern
  regions.
• 
  Current
  Status:
  Today,
  raccoons
  are
  considered
  an
  invasive
  species
  in
  Germany,
  raising
  concerns
  about
  their
  impact
  on
  local
  wildlife
  and
  ecosystems,
  and
  leading
  to
  ongoing
  discussions
  about
  wildlife
  management.

This
history
illustrates
how
a
non-native
species,
once
introduced,
can
rapidly
adapt
and
proliferate,
sometimes
creating
significant
ecological
challenges,
including

drinking
beer
and
getting
drunk.

And
according
to

Datawarpper:

As
recently
as
1995,
it
was
rare
to
find
a
raccoon
in
a
German
hunter’s
bag.
(These
statistics
are
a
good
proxy
for
the
overall
population,
since
raccoons
in
Germany
are
considered
an
unprotected
game
species
and
can
be
killed
at
any
time
of
year
without
further
permissions.)
But
now
their
numbers
are
exploding. In
the
past
25
years,
hunting
records
would
imply
that
the
raccoon
population
of
Germany
has
grown
by
a
factor
of
60.

…

There
are
two
moments
in
history
when
we
know
for
sure
that
raccoons
were
introduced
into
the
wild
in
Germany. In
1934,
two
breeding
pairs
were
deliberately
released
near
lake
Edersee,
in
the
area
of
Kassel,
to “enrich
the
local
fauna.” And
in
1945,
25
more escaped
from
a
fur
farm
in
Wolfshagen,
Brandenburg.

What
do
you
think
of
raccoons?

Go to Source
Author: Brilliant Maps