Includes the Caribbean populations of introduced gloveralleni (Barbados), maynardi (Bahamas) and minor (Guadalupe), after Helgen et al. (2003); and insularis (islas Marías, in the Pacific Ocean) after Helgen and Wilson (2005).

European regional assessment: Not Applicable (NA)
EU 27 regional assessment: Not Applicable (NA)

The Northern Raccoon is an introduced species in Europe and thus listed as Not Applicable at the European regional and EU 27 regional levels. Based on a risk assessment, the raccoon is regulated as an invasive species of Union concern in the EU 27.

The Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor), native to North and Central America, was introduced across Europe during the 20th century (Salgado 2018) just as in Alaska (MacDonald and Cook 1996), the Antilles (Helgen et al. 2008) and Japan (Ikeda et al. 2004).

The Raccoon was introduced in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s (Müller-Using 1959, Stubbe 1975) and in the former USSR between 1936 and 1958 (Aliev and Sanderson 1966) for fur farming, hunting and “fauna improvement” (i.e. deliberate species introduction to “enrich” native ecosystems). After the 1960s, Raccoons colonised the neighbouring countries from these primary populations (Lutz 1984, Lutz 1995). In addition, the Raccoon were again introduced as a game, furbearing and pet species (Léger and Ruette 2014). The pet trade is nowadays the main introduction pathway: escapes from zoos or private owners and releases into the wild of individuals near residential areas (García et al. 2012, Léger and Ruette 2014, Mori et al. 2015, Fischer et al. 2017). The Raccoon is widespread and common in central and eastern Europe, the core area, but still local in southern Europe (García et al. 2012, Mori et al. 2015, Boscherini et al. 2019). Feral individuals have been detected in at least 27 European countries, although the Raccoon is yet to become established in northern Europe and the British Isles (Salgado 2018).

The population of the Northern Raccoon in central Europe stayed small for years (the so-called lag phase) and exploded in the mid-1990s. Since then, the population of the Raccoon has grown by over 3,000 % (Salgado 2018). According to Fischer et al. (2016), the population size of the Raccoon in Germany is about 2,000,000 individuals (DJV 2023; the hunting bag is estimated to be 10 % of the population). Genetic admixture after range expansion overcomes founder effect and enhances adaptability (Alda et al. 2013, Biedrzycka et al. 2014, Fischer et al. 2017, Larroque et al. 2023).

The population density in the core area is about six individuals/km² (Michler 2018), although it is higher in urban areas (100 individuals/km² Michler et al. 2004) due to aggregated and abundant anthropogenic resources, such as rubbish for feeding and man-made structures for resting. The adult sex ratio is close to 1:1. Principal causes of mortality are canine distemper virus, vehicle collisions and hunting (Michler 2018).

The annual home range of resident Raccoons in central Europe is < 10 km² in natural areas (6 km², males; 3 km², females), although it is smaller in urban areas (2 km², males; 0,4 km², females: Michler 2018). The dispersal distance of males is 42 km. In contrast, females move only 1 km from the natal area (Michler 2018).

As an opportunistic species, the Northern Raccoon behaves invasive in most recipient ecosystems. Despite the habitat preference for deciduous forests near water in both the native and invaded ranges (Salgado 2018), the raccoon may adapt to new environments and exploit the available resources (Lutz 1980, Bartoszewicz et al. 2008, García et al. 2012). Moreover, the raccoon is also commensal with the human population in urban and suburban areas (Michler et al. 2004). Once established, the raccoon spreads along the riverbanks, which may function as dispersal corridors (García et al. 2012, Mori et al. 2015).

The Northern Raccoon may impact on native wildlife by predation on rare and endangered species and competition with native medium-sized carnivores and raptors for resources, food and den sites (Salgado 2018). In addition to ecological impacts, raccoons are host to several pathogens transmissible to humans (such as the roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis), domestic and wild animals (Beltrán-Beck et al. 2012).

Trading, keeping, exchanging or breeding raccoons without a permit is now banned in Europe under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014 (EU 2014).

Management actions (Salgado 2018): 1) legislation on pet trade and awareness of biological invasions to prevent introductions; 2) early detection and rapid response to eradicate newly established or marginal populations (see Mazzamuto et al. 2020); 3) risk assessment to identify threats and measure impacts; 4) suppression or containment of established populations (i.e. aimed at keeping at low density or in a limited area) to protect native species, habitats and resources.