Switzerland resigned to spread of invasive raccoons

That cute raccoon is unlikely to be stopped, even in Zurich Keystone-SDA

With their black beady eyes and Zorro-like masks, raccoons are undoubtedly cute. But they pose a threat to native wildlife and cause considerable damage. Their spread is unlikely to be halted in the Swiss canton of Zurich.

“Not exponential, but gradual” is how Reto Muggler, co-head of the cantonal fisheries and hunting authority, describes the growth of the raccoon population in the canton of Zurich. The number of raccoons shot has remained constant at between one and five for decades.

But he, like other experts, is convinced that their spread can hardly be stopped. “Sightings of young raccoons are becoming more frequent.” However, this could also be due to the fact that there are far more cameras today than there used to be.

The canton of Zurich does not currently have a specific plan to prevent these cute animals from spreading further. “As the raccoon is hunted anyway as an invasive species, there is no need for that at the moment,” said Muggler.

It is not known exactly how many raccoons now live in Switzerland. The animals have been appearing in hunting statistics for the past ten years. In 2025, a total of 84 were shot, with 54 in Aargau and 23 in the canton of Basel-Country alone. The first Swiss raccoons were sighted in northern Switzerland in the 1990s. They had probably escaped from enclosures.

The animals are native to North America. They were imported to Europe for the fur trade, and in 1934 a number of them were released in Hesse. From there, these omnivores spread throughout Germany. As they have virtually no natural predators in Europe, their numbers have grown rapidly.

Two million raccoons in Germany

Today, there are an estimated two million raccoons in Germany. In some places, they have become a veritable pest. They cause massive damage to buildings and in attics. As skilful climbers, hunters and nest predators, they also pose a threat to native amphibians and birds.

And last but not least, they can transmit the raccoon roundworm, which is dangerous to humans.

Whilst Germany has long since lost the battle against the raccoon, Swiss authorities are attempting to contain them or, rather, to prepare for an infestation. The neighbouring Swiss canton of Aargau, for example, is working with hunting associations to this end.

Hunters have at their disposal 11 specially designed box traps fitted with a catch basket. If a raccoon is caught in the trap, the hunter kills it with a well-aimed shot.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.