Raccoons on the run in Leeuwarden

Five of the raccoons which escaped from Leeuwarden’s AquaZoo woodland nature reserve are still at large.

The Stichting AAP charity, a shelter which takes in exotic mammals from all over Europe, sent 12 raccoons to AquaZoo at the end of March where they were housed in a new, specially-built enclosure.

Two sections of wire netting had not been securely fixed and the same day that they arrived, 11 of the raccoons managed to dig their way out, leaving just one of them behind.

Cage traps were laid out and baited with tempting marshmallows, cherry syrup, sweets and eggs, all of which raccoons are partial to.

Six have been recovered so far, with the most recent returnee found in one of the cages on the morning of April 13. None will be on public view for some time, as AquaPark’s director Jeroen Loomeijer explained that the animals need to recover from the upheaval of their move to Leeuwarden and their time on the run.

Employees from the Friesland provincial authority as well the local water board continue to search for the five missing raccoons, although Loomeijer said that the chances of recovering them diminished with each passing day.

They survive well in Netherlands’ conditions and would probably a safe place where they could settle in, like other escaped raccoons in Limburg and the Achterhoek area,

As all the raccoons were neutered, they will not be able to reproduce and the AquaZoo director said they would probably die natural deaths but could also fall victim to traffic or other accidents.