Suddenly they stand on the street in Kassel, Germany. Three raccoons in the middle of the city, apparently young animals. Startled, the gang apart, jumps in front of a cyclist, two animals flit on the grounds of a car dealership, and the third to the less wise: It climbs the hassle of a fence, then down again. Finally, it runs squealing through the grounds, apparently in search of the fellows.
encounters such as these are currently not uncommon in Kassel. No matter whether in the Park or in the beer garden – the cute little predators with the mask-like fur coloration on the head are very active at the moment. In Kassel, Germany, often called the “capital of the raccoons” is referred to, is the usual. Of 100 animals on 100 hectares of the landesjagdverband Hessen is. Normal four animals to be elsewhere on such a area.
damage over thousands Euro
raccoons are in many Parts of Hesse’s re-issue. Because according to the hunters, you will always be more: “you can’t even imagine how many calls we get relating to the Population in the urban area,” says Rudolf Leinweber, Vice President of the state hunting Association of Fulda. If the predators would be in the roof chairs to settle down, and immense damage over thousands of euros to property, “then the fun stops for people who are tierschutzaffin,”.
Known only to the larger cases, for example, as a raccoon 2019 in the Kreis of Kassel in an office devastated and 10,000 euros in damages caused are usually. Young raccoons in the state of Hesse may be hunted in February all the year round. “When you see a young animal, it makes no mood to kill it,” says Leinweber. However, the hunters to come to their duty. Actually the shooting but is considered unattractive: Who shoots the raccoon, gets first no other animal in front of the gun. The shooting in cities is because of the risk as good as impossible.For adult animals for a period of March to July is also.
more and more animals shot
Around 29,000 raccoons were shot, according to Leinweber in the past year in the state of Hesse. This is so far the second highest value. Only in the hunting year 2012/2013, there were a few more animals. For the hunter this is a sign that the Population is growing. The so-called hunting routes are one of the few funds, stocks estimate. Inventory counts, there is not. The hunt stretch show that, in addition to the North, Hessen in the East, West and Central Hesse, more and more animals are shot. The German nature conservation Association Nabu doubts the power of the message. “Hunting lines are just a vague notice,” says spokesman Berthold Langenhorst. More kills does not mean, necessarily, that would have increased the stocks. “Raccoons have areas, if the areas are occupied, have to emigrate to the young animals.” That’s why the predators do not spread further, the stocks rose.
However, it is quite possible that areas smaller would – for example, if the food supply waxes. Of the area-wide hunting conservationists hold still, little: If the animals were to be killed, grow the Population, to compensate. “It will be shot, and shot, and the stocks are not low,” says Langenhorst.
