Is The Raccoon Dog In The UK A Threat or Filling A Vacant Predator Niche?

 

Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

The one thing that keeps cropping up, and from my own Exotic Animal Register records from the 1980s on are raccoon dogs

In the past people reporting raccoon dogs have witnessed them being shot or trapped and killed on DEFRA orders -ignoring wildlife parks, etc that were willing to take them on. Back in the early 2000s a lo0cal DEFRA man threatened to have me prosecuted for not turning over maps with locations of raccoon dogs. Nothing happened and besides which all the locations are in my head for safety reasons.

I have been keeping an eye on these animals, as I do with any former "exotic" or so called "invasive species" in the UK since the early 1980s after seeing two in the wild in Germany in the 1970s.   My main questions are:

1) is the animal causing loss of local wildlife?

2) is the animal causing any environmental or other damage?

In the case of raccoon dogs I can state that they have caused no widespread problems to British wildlife -there are millions of rats and rabbits in the UK as well as smaller mammals that humans shoot, poison, trap and kill as "nuisances" and from talking to locals who know the areas where these animals are they have cut back the rodent population but not in any drastic way. I have been told that nothing in the areas where they are has changed and if it were not for the occasional sighting no one would know that they were there. In fact one response has been "There are far, far fewer rats these days".

(c)2023 respective copyright holder

Now, if after four decades of looking at these animals I saw that they were having an adverse effect on the environment I would be all for trapping and them spending a life in an appropriate wildlife centre. Killing is never an option unless you are DEFRA and want to waste public money by paying out a couple of thousand to someone to trap and kill.

So many key species have been wiped out by humans in the UK over the centuries for 'sport' and 'fun' that there are niches that need to be filled. We killed off the wolves and lynx and wild cats and we have had animals such as the raccoon dog fill those niches. After the mass of extinctions in the 19th century the prey-predator ratio was all in the favour of prey and their growing in numbers. Hence the craze for poisons and trapping.

Could all of the raccoon dogs in the wild be killed off? Doubtful. First you have to find them and locals tend to keep quiet.  Awareness of raccoon dogs and how to behave in areas where they might be is important -as is most wildlife education.

Above: young raccoon dog for sale in Kent in 2011  (c)2023 EAR

Although they hide it well and communicate by secure apps on mobile phones we know people do breed and sell on. If they were not doing so then the RSZPCA must be rescuing imaginary animals.

This RSPCA page explains what you need to know.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/other/raccoondogs#:~:text=Selling%20raccoon%20dogs%20in%20the,dogs%20to%20be%20kept%20securely.

Keeping raccoon dogs as pets

On this page, we answer all your questions about raccoon dogs - what they are, what they eat and whether they can be kept as pets.

Selling raccoon dogs in the UK

Since 2 February 2019, it's been illegal to sell raccoon dogs (except for existing 'stock'), as they're a highly invasive risk to native species in Europe. These regulations also don't allow breeding and require raccoon dogs to be kept securely. Read more about the legal restrictions for keeping raccoon dogs and other invasive alien species.

Not a raccoon

Raccoon dogs (also known as a 'tanuki' or a Japanese raccoon dog) aren't raccoons - they're members of the canid (dog) family. They're native to the forests of eastern Siberia, northern China, North Vietnam, Korea and Japan.  They're now widespread in some European countries, having been accidentally released or escaped.

Diet

Raccoon dogs are omnivores and naturally feed on insects, rodents, amphibians, birds, fish, molluscs and carrion, as well as fruits, nuts and berries.

Pet suitability

A raccoon dog isn't suitable as pet as their needs simply can't be met in a typical household. We strongly discourage people from buying or keeping one as a pet.

This is because:

• They're much more difficult to look after than you may imagine! 
• There are strict legal restrictions on keeping, selling, rehoming and breeding raccoon dogs, as they threaten our native wildlife.
• They need space - raccoon dogs are wild animals rather than domesticated pets. In the wild, they have large home ranges, so it wouldn't be suitable to keep one in an enclosure that doesn't provide the space and complexity of the environment (water, hiding places, vegetation) they need.
• They're extremely smelly, as they use scent to communicate with one another - not the best quality in a house pet!

Sadly, it's not uncommon to see raccoon dogs kept in a house, a small enclosure in a garden or a small enclosure in a pet shop. These are all environments that are totally unsuitable for a raccoon dog's complex needs.

Rescued raccoon dogs

Our inspectors have taken in raccoon dogs that were no longer wanted as pets by their owners. This can be the result of the raccoon dog becoming unmanageable, or when owners realise that they cannot care for the animal properly.

We've attended properties where raccoon dogs have been kept in enclosures that are far too small. We've found raccoon dogs kept on their own, or with the family dog - none of which is appropriate for this particular species.

Our team has also been called to capture and collect stray raccoon dogs that have escaped, or been deliberately released into the wild. Releasing, or allowing a raccoon dog to escape is a punishable offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Studies have suggested that raccoon dogs in the wild may live and hunt in pairs or small family groups, although solitary animals have also been seen. We rehome raccoon dogs to wildlife parks and zoos, in pairs or compatible groups.

If you've seen a raccoon dog that's been abandoned, or are concerned about the well-being of a raccoon dog being kept as a pet, please contact us.