Limburg kills nearly 250 raccoons as population hits 100
Limburg authorities have killed nearly 250 raccoons in 2024 and 2025, as the "invasive species" population in the province is now estimated at 50 to 100 animals, L1 reports.
A provincial report evaluated eleven control strategies and found roughly half effective, but experts say lasting results require coordination with Germany and Belgium.
Officials plan two pilot zones for cross-border management. The first covers Susteren, Born, Gangelt, and Heerlen along the German border. The second stretches from Maastricht and Heerlen to Aachen, Eupen, Verviers, and Liège, bordering both Germany and Belgium.
“Particularly the use of ‘smart’ traps, capturing and killing by a specialized team, and additional culling by hunters offers the greatest chance to effectively reduce the population and approach a zero count,” said provincial official Léon Faassen.
Smart traps include devices that allow only raccoons to reach bait and others with image recognition that trigger only for raccoons, not rabbits or squirrels.
The national government considers raccoons a “problem species” with a zero-population goal. The province said, “Every raccoon is one too many,” and stressed that neighboring countries must increase efforts to prevent re-infestation.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is omnivorous, displaces vulnerable wildlife, and can transmit diseases to humans. Since 2017, a breeding population has existed in Limburg. Early efforts involved capturing, sterilizing, and relocating raccoons to zoos or children’s farms. Lethal control has been the primary strategy in recent years.
