No enemies, plenty of food: Switzerland threatened by raccoon invasion

The first raccoon was found in Switzerland in 1976 – it migrated to Switzerland from Germany. Since then, it has spread from the north and is now found in central Switzerland or in Lake Valen, data from the Swiss Fauna Information Center show. There is no information on how many raccoons currently live in Switzerland or where they are.

The latest hunting statistics show: in 2022, 17 raccoons were shot in Switzerland, ten of which were lost in the canton of Baselland, five in the Aargau region, one in the Solothurn region – and one in the Niedwalden region. There were 13 murders the year before, and only two in 2020.

The German city of Kassel showed how quickly omnivorous creatures can multiply: within a few years, raccoons took over the entire city, invading parks and homes. Many companies already specialize in raccoon-proofing buildings. However, there is no active fighting against small bears.

So far, most raccoons have been found and killed in Baselland and Aargau, near the border. However, it is difficult to estimate how many animals there are, says Reto Fischer, a poaching expert at the Department of Construction, Transport and Environment in Aargau province.

“We have already received five reports this year. On three occasions the raccoons ran away and on two occasions they were found,” he explains. The increase in reports over the past three years has been staggering. “It also means we have significantly more raccoons.”

Because raccoons are more active at night, there is a good chance that an increase will go unnoticed or be noticed too late. “Animals spread quickly because they reproduce quickly and have no natural enemies,” says Fischer. He warns: “If you want to keep the raccoon population under control, you have to act now.”

In the province of Aargau, hunting parties must shoot when they already encounter animals. In addition, the expert explains that the aim is to train hunters to hunt raccoons and further promote the use of traps.

“It’s certainly difficult because they’re basically friendly animals — but because of their lifestyle and their dietary needs they can endanger native animals or cause damage to buildings and agriculture.”

Alternative methods of killing raccoons in Aargau province were not discussed. “Reception centers cause many problems: on the one hand, there is the risk of animals escaping. On the other hand, there are too many animals and the capacity is exhausted – besides, it is not easy to keep dozens of animals from the same family in one enclosure.” Capturing and castrating animals to stop breeding is also not an option. The effort will be enormous, Fischer says.

The exact number of raccoons in the Basel area is also unknown – but it is likely to continue to increase, says Daniel Zoffi, a hunting and fishing specialist at the Basel Forest Office. Although only isolated sightings were reported in 2020, more than 30 raccoons were found in 2023.

“You have to assume there will be more this year,” says Sophie. Animals appear only sporadically at present. However, this may change rapidly if habitat conditions are optimal in the settlement area. It must be assumed that catching and shooting animals is more complicated and difficult than on land.

But current measures are not particularly effective, as killings are often based on visual reports and chance encounters. Setting up and checking live traps requires a lot of effort. “I don’t think we can get rid of the raccoon completely,” said the expert.

At best, further spread can be slowed and delayed as long as possible before major problems arise – at worst, Swiss raccoon populations can multiply very quickly. But Zopfi doubts: “Sooner or later this will become a problem for the whole of Switzerland – and then a national strategy will have to come into play.”