Raccoons are spreading in the German district of Waldshut, near the border with Switzerland. Concern about the spread is now growing in Switzerland.
National borders are not an issue for the animals, so they could soon appear in the canton of Zurich. The raccoon originally comes from North America. It was brought to Germany in the 1920s and 30s as a fur supplier. In 1934, the raccoon was deliberately released for the first time in Hesse with the aim of settling it in Germany. Since then it has spread throughout almost the entire country, including the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. Nowadays even the meat of the wild animal is offered as food, for example a hunter sells salami etc. from raccoons. A population of a few hundred animals is expected in neighboring Germany. There is no concrete evidence that the animals could have already spread there. The species can also become a problem for local wildlife, as it repeatedly nests in attics. And the animal can also be a nuisance for people.