But it kiekste pretty cute out of the laundry!
Raccoon and Instagram star Fritzi’s BZ story went around the world. Even the US television station CNN reported on the animal flat share. Now the raccoon mistress Dr. Mathilde Laininger took four more protégés into her house in Zehlendorf.
As adorable as the offspring looks, the fate of the little ones is just as sad. Hannes and Awila are about four weeks old. Animal rescuers from Potsdam had found the two motherless, Hannes is missing a paw. “A rat could have torn it off,” says Laininger.
This week, the raccoon mom took in two more animals. A small garden owner had found a female in his arbor and abandoned it in the forest. Two days later he discovered the offspring. The Animal Rescue Potsdam mediated both in their new homes. Their names: Lise and Lotte.
The man has committed a criminal offense. Anyone who catches, moves or kills raccoons pays a fine of up to 10,000 euros. Feeding the animals costs up to 5000 euros.
Laininger is now working on a pilot project to get the raccoon population in Berlin under control. Experts assume that around 1000 raccoons live in Berlin.
“We want to set up 50 live traps in an area of around 500 hectares in Spandau and catch the raccoons,” says the veterinarian. “Then the males could be spayed and the females neutered.”
Discussions are already underway with the state animal protection officer and the University of Eberswalde. The project could produce 50 to 70 percent fewer young animals each year. It could start as early as August. Laininger: “Our goal is the peaceful coexistence of humans and raccoons.”
Hannes and Awila, Lise and Lotte will still live in Zehlendorf until they find another foster home. Every three hours there is cat milk from the bottle.
Incidentally, their adult counterparts Fritzi, Marvin and Paul get along well with their offspring. Laininger: “You are very social.”
Prejudices about raccoons
Cute townspeople for some, a nuisance for others. Which prejudices about raccoons are correct?
► Do raccoons kill songbirds?
Fecal analyzes have shown that only 3.1 percent of raccoons’ diet consists of birds and eggs. Outdoor cats do more damage.
► Do they loot bird and bat boxes?
It can happen. The simplest solution: place the boxes in such a way that raccoons and other predators cannot reach them.
► Do raccoons compete with other species for food?
No, they are omnivores. With their sensitive paws they can get into the smallest of spaces that other animals cannot reach.
► Do they transmit diseases?
Partially. The raccoon roundworm (not found in our region) has been transmitted to humans once so far. Rabies is considered eradicated, mange is much more often transmitted by foxes.
What to do in the event of an unwanted raccoon visit?
A rumble in the attic, ransacked garbage cans: a raccoon is not always a welcome visitor.
The environmental administration started the raccoon on-site consultation last summer. The pilot project is intended to help Berliners who are plagued by raccoons free of charge.
► An expert can be reached by phone (0157 391 120 36) or by email ([email protected]).
If necessary, an appointment can be made with the biologist on site to discuss possible solutions. There will be a follow-up consultation later.
