Limburg is going to shoot raccoons dead to keep their numbers low

Raccoons can again be hunted in Limburg from Wednesday. There is no longer any space in shelters for the unwanted animals, which are not native to Limburg and can be harmful to nature. So far, the Netherlands has managed to successfully catch 95 raccoons, but now the shelter at Stichting AAP is full, the province said on Tuesday.

There are simply too many raccoons, and they pose a threat to native species such as breeding birds, amphibians, small mammals and hibernating bats. In addition, they are often infected with the raccoon roundworm, which poses a risk to public health.

European rules oblige provinces to handle the raccoon situation. At the end of 2017, about fifty to a hundred raccoons were identified, especially around Sittard and Maastricht, which presumably moved there after escaping from wildlife parks. It is also thought that some raccoons were kept as pets and were released into the wild.

Because it is estimated that there are still a few dozen raccoons roaming free in Limburg, and there is no more space in the shelter, they can now be hunted by authorities and shot. More and more raccoons from Wallonia, Belgium are crossing the Limburg border, meaning large-scale sheltering is no longer an option, according to the province.

In the meantime, non-lethal means are also being investigated for later use. This includes contraception.

The province will also urgently ask surrounding regions to prevent the influx of raccoons into Limburg.