Zwei junge Waschbären auf einem Ast in einem Gehege im Gut Aiderbichl, mit einem Holzhintergrund. Einer zeigt die Zähne, der andere schaut aufmerksam.

Our baby raccoons

Olaf and Uschi move into Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf

The raccoon family at Gut Aiderbichl in Henndorf is growing steadily. Our Pauli already made new friends last year – Sally and Bella. Soon Olaf and Uschi will also be joining the raccoon enclosure.

Like the raccoon family at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf, the wild raccoon population is also continuously increasing. Even though many people have never seen raccoons in the wild, they are actually there – and their numbers are growing steadily throughout Europe.

The raccoon as an invasive species

The raccoon is originally native to North America and probably found its way to Austria and neighbouring countries through fur farms. As an alien species, the raccoon is an “invasive species” in Europe. Its high reproduction rate and adaptability make it a serious problem: it displaces native species and jeopardises the ecological balance.

Racons are not picky when choosing their habitat. They feel at home in deciduous and mixed forests as well as in urban areas. They become active after dusk and begin their nocturnal forays in search of food.

This can be problematic for the native ecosystem. In spring, raccoons prefer to feed on eggs and young birds, and fish as well as endangered amphibians and reptiles are also on their menu. This means that animals that are already rare are also at risk.</span

Frau im roten Shirt hält lächelnd einen jungen Waschbären auf der Schulter; der Waschbär hat ein markantes Gesichtsband und untersucht neugierig ihre Hand.

Zwei junge Waschbären interagieren spielerisch mit einer Person in rotem Shirt von Gut Aiderbichl, die ihnen Zuneigung zeigt, in einer strohbedeckten Umgebung.

A dilemma

How do you deal with these cute but invasive animals properly? Uschi and Olaf’s rescuer also asked herself this question. When she saw the two cute raccoon babies, however, the matter was clear: their mother had died in a car accident a few days earlier. Her four siblings were killed by a hunter while Uschi and Olaf hid in the neighbour’s garden – did they suspect their fate?

For the animal lover, having these two shot was not an option! She lovingly looked after the little ones. However, it soon became clear that Uschi and Paul, as cute as they were, were wild animals and could no longer remain in her care.

Uschi and Olaf are not to blame

Many organisations were contacted, but none agreed to take in the raccoons. But Gut Aiderbichl offered to help. We are looking forward to welcoming Uschi and Olaf to our raccoon family. Because the problem of invasive species is man-made – Uschi and Olaf themselves are not to blame!