Invasive species such as raccoons, mink or raccoon dogs are spreading more and more in this country and are threatening the local flora and fauna.
Biologists therefore want to take more action against the bio-invaders and also rely on the active help of the population. A special app called “Zowiac” should help in the future to better assess the distribution of the new species and to take appropriate countermeasures.
“Whether it’s a walk in nature, in the city or a picnic in the park – sightings of raccoons, raccoon dogs and minks can easily be entered into our “Zowiac” app,” says Sven Klimpel from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt.
In the app you can enter direct sightings of the predatory small mammals as well as store photos of tracks, faeces or food marks. The database should also help to better research and control the parasites and diseases introduced by the invaders.
More information is available at https://zowiac.eu