Raccoons plague: North Saxony fights invasive rabbits!

Raccoons plague: North Saxony fights invasive rabbits!

Nordsachsen has become the home of a growing problem: raccoons. Behind their lovable appearance is a threat to the domestic wildlife. These nocturnal predators have increased significantly in the old district of Torgau-Schatz and in the Dahlener Heide, which leads to enormous damage. Rainer Krause, the chairman of the Oschatz hunting association, reports alarmed: "The population increases explosively. This problem can no longer be stopped."

The concerns about the spread of raccoons are underpinned by the statements of Jäger Mario Tauchnitz, who explains: "The animals multiply like crazy." This questionable development means that raccoons not only threaten the domestic fauna, but also a serious risk of biodiversity.

threat to the domestic wildlife

The raccoons act as food on the rights, which means that they feed on almost everything that they can find. This includes amphibians, crawl animals, birds and even the eggs of bird broods. "The raccoon climbs on every tree. Bird eggs are fetched from every nest box, every nest and every brood cave," warns Tauchnitz. These invasive animals are already displacing domestic types such as the Iltis and can also transmit dangerous diseases.

raccoons are classified as neozoa, i.e. as non-home species that are considered to be invasive in accordance with the EU regulation. This means that they can be hunted all year round. Falls have proven to be particularly effective when combating this plague. The hunters are required to keep the stock of the raccoons as low as possible, since the reproductive rate of these animals is extremely high and natural enemies are missing in the domestic forests.

Current measures for evidence

The hunting situation is challenging. Usually it is not allowed to kill hunters to kill the mother game as long as the young animals rely on their care. But if these are no longer dependent on their parents, the parents can be shot to regulate the inventory. This year Krause has already shot 16 raccoons, while Tauchnitz even killed around 60 animals.

The goal of the hunters is to hunt the raccoons as effectively as possible and thus minimize the number of animals. Many dead raccoons, which are often run over by cars, are found in the Dahlener Heide. The danger that comes from these animals should not be underestimated, and measures to contain are essential.

As reported by the district office in North Saxony, 300 raccoons alone were killed in the current hunting year 2023/2024 in the Dahlener Heide. A total of 2478 raccoons shot were reported throughout the district. These figures show that the control measures are necessary because the raccoon population continues to increase.

The hunt for raccoons are of great importance in view of the explosive increase and the lack of natural enemies. Rainer Krause and Mario Tauchnitz agree that a complete extermination of the animals will no longer be possible. It will be necessary to continue to take measures to control the situation. As long as no diseases directed against the raccoons, the increase in stocks remains a serious challenge for domestic flora and fauna.

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