Raccoon menace spreads

Friday, 2 December 2022 06:30

More and more raccoons are spreading across the country, especially in canton Aargau. They're devastating forests, farmers’ fields and gardens.

There are calls for hunters to target the animal specifically in an attempt to bring the numbers down.

Raccoons are an invasive species and have few natural predators in Europe. They were first brought over from North America to breed for fur.

Hunting expert Reto Fischer says they can have a major negative impact on the ecosystem and they are excellent hunters themselves.

Across Europe, raccoons are considered vermin and so it’s legal to kill them and illegal to release them into the wild.

More from Bitesize News

Crans-Montana safety worker stays silent

The investigation into the fire at a bar in Crans-Montana has taken a new turn, after a former municipal employee refused to answer questions during a hearing.
Bern says it supports ceasefire and could re-open embassy

Switzerland has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, calling it an important step towards easing tensions in the region.
Strong demand for tech-bunkers

Tech companies are searching for secure installations to base their data centres - and a Swiss nuclear bunker seems to be the most popular.
Major forest fire in Graubünden

Firefighters in Graubünden are battling a major forest fire in Val Poschiavo that has been burning since Tuesday.
Teens convicted for fake IDs

A group of teens in Vaud have learned the hard way that fake IDs come with real consequences.
Overnight closures of A9 this month

The A9 autoroute between Aigle and Villeneuve will be closed to traffic in both directions overnight from the 13th and 18th of this month.