Brussels bureaucrats threaten to ban raccoons and chipmunks from zoos
EU officials are worried raccoons could wipe out native animals
BRUSSELS bureaucrats are threatening to ban raccoons and chipmunks from zoos.
The popular animals have been branded “invasive alien species” alongside others by Brussels, with officials concerned for the future of countries’ native animals if the species break out of their enclosures.
The measures, which will ban 23 animal and 14 plant species, are not expected to come into force until after the EU referendum on June 23.
Zoo keepers have slammed the plans saying they will rob youngsters of the pleasure of seeing some of their most charismatic animals at close quarters.
Chris Moiser, director of Tropiquaria zoo in Somerset, said raccoons Rocky and Missy were among the most popular animals in his collection.
“Raccoons are real characters, very active and mischievous. They use their paws like little hands; they can undo locks. They are likeable vandals and have that bandit’s mask on their face,” he said.
“We are a small zoo, we love our animals, some of the ex-pets are particularly endearing and friendly.
“Rocky raccoon is possibly top of that list. How do I explain to my staff and visitors that we have had to kill him because Europe says so?”
There are believed to be a handful of wild raccoons in the UK, who have escaped zoos or homes where they are kept as private pets. The animals are a native of North America.
In April a raccoon was spotted in the Scottish Highlands, sparking a desperate search amid fears the animal it could start a dangerous infestation.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has told zoos that raccoons and other species on the EU list will be “permitted to live out their natural lives”.
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There are up to a million raccoons in the wild in Germany, where they damage vineyards and prey on birds. Germany released raccoons into the wild in the 1930s to provide game to hunt. Hundreds escaped from a fur farm bombed during the Second World War.
Defra is drafting new rules for zoos based on the EU regulation but those rules will not be published until after the referendum on June 23.