Raccoons plague in Dautmergen: Mayor picks up for hunting!

Raccoons plague in Dautmergen: Mayor picks up for hunting!

in Dautmergen, a small community in the Zollernalb district, a furry intruder causes excitement: the raccoons! These sweet but ruthless animals spread rapidly and are a serious threat to the residents. Mayor Hans Joachim Lippus decided to hunt the animals to prevent major damage. But this decision brought him violent criticism!

The raccoons are not only a plague in the gardens where they dig out vegetables and loot chicken traps, but also transfer diseases such as the raccoon worm. Five of the uninvited guests have already been killed and the reactions to these measures are split. Animal rights activists are outraged by hunting and demand alternative solutions, while Lippus emphasizes that he only fulfills his duty to protect the community.

The legal foundations of hunting

The hunt for raccoons are legal in Germany because these animals are considered an invasive way. Originally from North America, they have no natural enemies in this country and can multiply unhindered. The EU calls for management of this kind, and in Baden-Württemberg hunters are allowed to hunt the raccoons from July to mid-February. The district office supports hunting and sees it as necessary to protect the domestic fauna.

But the controversy around the raccoon hunt does not end. Experts such as Thorsten Behraben from the Rottenburg Forst University warn that hunting is unrealistic in the long term, since the raccoon population in Germany is already over 1.3 million. Animal welfare associations require peaceful coexistence and criticize that it is often used for weapon instead of taking preventive measures. The raccoon question remains a hot iron in the Zollernalb district, where the number of animals has at least tripled in the past four years.