Urgent hunt for raccoon-dog on the loose in Wales as public warned not to approach

The animal is thought to be in the Colebren area of Powys about five miles east of the town of Ystradgynlais. It is unknown how long the animal has been missing or where it escaped from.

Natural Resources Wales has urged the public to report any sightings.

A spokeswoman told WalesOnline: “We’re on the look out for an escaped raccoon-dog in the Coelbren area of South Powys. You can report any sightings or give us more information about an escape on 0300 065 3000.”

While it is not illegal to keep a raccoon-dog as a pet, the RSPCA strongly discourages people from doing so.

Since February, 2019, it is against the law to sell the animal because of the risk it poses to native species in Europe. Breeding them is also banned by law.

A fox-like creature, the raccoon-dog is a member of the canine family.

It gets its name due to its resemblance to a raccoon. It feeds on insects, rodents, amphibians, birds, fish, molluscs, carrion, fruits, nuts and berries.
The RSPCA does not describe them as such, but it does make clear that raccoon-dogs are wild animals with complex needs.

It maintains raccoon-dogs, which are also known as tanuki – are not suited to life as a pet because they require a lot of space.

The RSPCA says “their needs cannot be met in a typical household”.

The animal charity adds: “They’re also extremely smelly as they use scent to communicate with one another.”

READ MORE ABOUT BRITONS BEING CHARGED £100 FOR COVID TESTS

People were warned not to approach the “wild animal” with its behaviour is described as unpredictable.

On that occasion, NRW took swift action following a request from the Welsh Government’s rural affairs minister, Lesley Griffiths.

The animal was captured and humanely destroyed.

Its killing sparked a public outcry with NRW denying it was shot, maintaining it was put to sleep.

The Mirror reported in 2019 that a village in Nottinghamshire was “under siege” after two raccoon-dogs escaped from an enclosure with local police warning at the time that the pair were “potentially dangerous”.

The Guardian reported last year that according to the Mammal Society the omnivorous species could pose a threat to rare native species including amphibians, small mammals and ground-nesting birds.

Raccoon-dogs can also transmit a number of diseases to humans.

They were introduced into the former Soviet Union in the middle of the 20th century and were farmed for fur.

Some escaped and have spread rapidly through Europe, in countries including Finland, Sweden and Denmark. There have also been sightings in France, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands.

source: express.co.uk