Raccoons alarm: Lower Saxony raises closed season-hunting starts again!
Raccoons alarm: Lower Saxony raises closed season-hunting starts again!
From July 16, 2025, raccoons may be hunted again in Lower Saxony. This decision follows a phase of the closed -term, which was applied from April 1 to July 15th. The necessity of this measure is justified by the rapidly raccoon population, which has been responsible for various damage in the region in recent years. The density of these animals is particularly high in the district of Northeim, which means that the population increasingly reports of destroyed ponds, damaged attics and ransacked garbage cans. In the hunting year 2023/2024, 2,354 raccoons were killed, while more than 25,000 of these animals were shot by hunters throughout 2023.
according to NDR are not only a plague for the residents, but also eat young birds and threaten protected species. In 2003, raccoons were only widespread in around 15 % of the Lower Saxony hunting grounds, today it is already around 61 % that are confronted with these animals. A look at the numbers clearly shows that the raccoons in southern Lower Saxony, especially in the districts of Northeim, Göttingen, Harz and Lüchow-Dannenberg, are widespread.
cases of invasive species are increasing
raccoons are among the invasive species whose control is prescribed according to the Federal Nature Conservation Act. In addition to raccoons, this also includes other animals that have increased strongly in recent years, such as Nutria in Celle and elsewhere in Lower Saxony. The increase in raccoon population, which has grown by 9.4 % compared to the previous year, may not delight the nature lovers if you consider that at the same time the hunting route at Nutrias has increased by 29.4 %. [Pirsch] (https://www.pirsch.de/news/jagdstreckezehlen-derwaschbaeren-nimmen-nicensachsen-zu- 40077) reported that a total of 25,485 raccoons were killed in the hunting year 2023/2024.
In order to get the damage to the invasive species under control, Lower Saxony not only has to pursue the hunt for raccoons, but also develop comprehensive management strategies. The nlwkn draws attention to the fact that to combat invasive species at both EU level and locally measures must be taken. Numerous regulations have been implemented since the EU Ordinance for Prevention and Management invasive species came into force. These regulations should not only reduce the possession and trade of these species, but also enable effective management.
The situation is therefore serious, and the upcoming measures to contain the raccoon population are eagerly awaited. The Taskforce in the Northeim district has already started the first steps, but it remains to be seen whether this is sufficient to control the increasing numbers. One thing is certain: Without timely and sustainable control, the raccoon plague will continue to be a major problem for Lower Saxony.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Ort | Northeim, Niedersachsen, Deutschland |
| Quellen | |
Kommentare (0)