In order to stock fur farms, the first raccoons were sent to Europe in the 1920s. Many raccoons escaped and started a new population in the wild thanks to an unintentional bombing and some bored farmers looking to spice up the local wildlife. Raccoons are now regarded as an invasive species in Europe.
The animals were even sent to Japan. Their journey there began more virtuously: Rascal the Raccoon, the wholesome star of the anime animation, was a childhood idol among Japanese kids in the 1970s. Children clamored for their own pet raccoons, and at one time Japan was importing almost 1500 of them each month. When these pets became too large for families to properly care for them, many of them naturally ended up back in the wild.
What smells repel raccoons? We all know that cayenne pepper repels raccoons. These pesky rodents hate the smell of cayenne. Therefore using this repellent spray is a good solution. Add 1 small canister of cayenne and 1 bottle of hot sauce to a gallon of water.
Can raccoons climb up and down vinyl siding? Raccoons are excellent climbers, so it's fairly difficult to keep them from climbing on the roof. They can ascend the corners of most houses, and easily climb up and down downspouts. Raccoons can tear open eaves, and even shingled roof, so beware of the damage they are capable of.
In the early 20th century, raccoons were poised to become the go-to model for animal experiments. They were some of the most curious and intelligent animals available, scientists believed, so that meant they were an obvious choice for comparative psychology studies. Though raccoons were the subject of several psychology experiments at the turn of the century, they didn't stick around in labs for long. Unlike rats, they were hard to breed and maintain in large numbers. They also had the pesky tendencies to chew through their cages, pickpocket researchers, and hide out in air vents. Despite one researcher's plan to breed a tamer strain of raccoon, the creature's future in the lab never took off.
What can you do to keep raccoons away? Leaving pet food outdoors is a sure way to attract a local raccoon. Trash cans are another lure for these masked bandits. Use locking lids, or keep your garbage secured in the garage. Bird feeders are easy pickings for raccoons, so clean underneath the feeders daily, or consider taking them down at night.
For generations, raccoons have been stereotyped as the cunning thief or trickster character in literature because of the black marks that fall across their eyes. But in addition to giving them the appearance of cute outlaws, their well-known black masks also provide them the ability to see perfectly. Dark to the black stickers that athletes wear beneath their eyes, the black fur works by absorbing light that would otherwise bounce into the athlete's eyes and impair vision. Less peripheral light during the night, when raccoons are most active, makes it simpler for them to detect contrast in the objects of their focus, which is crucial for seeing in the dark.
Scientists believe raccoons to be intelligent animals, but people who live in cities may find that their local populations are particularly cunning. This might be the result of urban raccoons frequently having to overcome hurdles created by people. When Toronto-based psychologist and biologist Suzanne MacDonald fitted city raccoons with GPS collars, she discovered that they had learnt to stay away from significant intersections. The idea that raccoons accustomed to living among humans are better able to solve unusual challenges was validated by a second experiment. In both urban and rural areas, MacDonald hid food in trash cans. Most city raccoons could figure out how to open the tricky lid, but the country raccoons consistently failed.