Trash pandas at large: Eleven raccoons escape from AquaZoo hours after arrival

Eleven raccoons escaped from their brand new enclosure at the AquaZoo animal park in Leeuwarden. One other raccoon housed with the group stayed behind. The animals arrived at the facility on Monday, but broke out of their enclosure at some point after the zoo was locked down for the night.

An animal caretaker was surprised to find the raccoons' new home almost completely empty on Tuesday, said the zoo's director, Jeroen Loomeijer. Two of the raccoons were found later in the day.

AquaZoo received the 12 raccoons on Monday from Stichting AAP, a foundation which shelters exotic animals in the Netherlands. To allow the animals time to relax and get accustomed to their new home, they were kept in a separate part of the new enclosure which had been specifically evaluated and approved for the new arrivals.

But it turned out that two pieces of mesh did not fit together properly, Loomeijer said. The raccoons were able to dig a path to freedom under the fence.

A search for the raccoons was conducted during the day on Tuesday without success, but the nocturnal raccoons become more active at dusk. AquaZoo staff hoped to find the escaped animals on Tuesday evening.

Because raccoons are good at climbing, it is possible that the animals scampered over the fence surrounding the zoo. Traps have also been set in the surrounding nature reserve.

These raccoons are not believed to be dangerous to humans. They are generally very timid. The escaped raccoons have been spayed or neutered and are no longer able to produce offspring. If AquaZoo cannot find the animals, they will eventually die in nature.

Raccoons are not native to the Netherlands and can dominate or displace other animal species. Raccoons that likely escaped into the wild, or their descendants, have made homes for themselves in the province of Limburg and the Achterhoek region in the east of the country.

These animals are captured whenever possible and taken to a shelter. AquaZoo will also become a shelter for raccoons, Loomeijer said.