People in a rural part of Wales are being urged not to approach a raccoon dog which has now been on the loose in Wales for almost a month.
The creature, a member of the canine family despite having a face more similar to that of a raccoon, was first reported missing by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on Monday who said it had escaped from its home. In fact, it had already been in the wild for several weeks.
The only confirmed sighting of the animal thus far happened on Friday, January 21.
Read more: The raccoon dog, panthers and other creatures that made a run for it in Wales
There have been no further sightings of the raccoon dog, but officials believe it could have travelled as far as eight miles by itself in the Welsh countryside, and warned people of its “unpredictable” nature.
Leaflets have been distributed to locals in the area in and around Colebren in Powys, where the animal was seen almost a month ago.
According to NRW: “Raccoon dogs will naturally range further in the wild and so could be seen more than eight miles away. They are small, nocturnal fox-sized animals, originally from East Asia that look like raccoons. Their diet includes fruit, insects, rodents, frogs, birds and eggs so they can have a negative impact on native wildlife.
“If you think you might have spotted one (dead or alive), or know where it might have escaped from please report this as soon as possible. As with any wild animal, their behaviour may be unpredictable and are not to be approached.”
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Seeing a raccoon dog in the wild in Wales is extremely rare. In the summer of 2020, one was spotted in north Carmarthenshire. This was only the second such sighting of a raccoon dog in Wales.
On that occasion the animal was captured and humanly destroyed, something which caused anger among some, who said the animal should have been rehomed.
It is not illegal to keep a raccoon dog as a pet, but the RSPCA “strongly discourages people” from doing so, and since February, 2019, it is actually illegal to sell the animal because they pose a risk to native species in Europe. It is also illegal to breed them.
If anyone does spot the raccoon dog, they are asked to contact NRW immediately on 0300 065 3000.
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