"We need more Lebensraum! Sieg Heil!"
Posted on 10/21/2005 9:24:18 AM PDT by Red Badger
Germany is stepping up its battle against 'Nazi' racoons after they ruined much of this year's wine harvest.
The racoons were released into the German countryside in 1934 under the orders of Hermann Goering.
Goering thought they would "enrich" the local wildlife - but they have spread throughout Central Europe, from the Low Countries to the Urals, according to conservationists.
The nocturnal mammals have become a health hazard in many cities, where they rummage through garbage bins and invade homeowners' attics and cellars.
Now, they are becoming a threat to agriculture as well, according to farmers.
"Racoons wiped out almost the entire harvest in a matter of days," said Werner Kothe who operates a vineyard in the Brandenburg region.
The situation has become so serious in Brandenburg that officials there have hired bounty hunters to cull racoons.
Last year, hunters in the state killed 3,471 of the pests. However scientists estimate there may be upwards of a million in Germany - and they are spreading to neighbouring countries at an alarming rate.
Experts say there are 100 racoons per square kilometre in the Kassel area north of Frankfurt - the same density reported in the racoon's natural habitat in North America.
"We need more Lebensraum! Sieg Heil!"
My idiot neighbor use to feed those things and the entire cull-de-sac suffered.
Due to a higher protein content, cat food is superior to dog food when feeding raccoons.
Tips on Feeding Raccoons:
http://www.loomcom.com/raccoons/info/feeding.html
Bump for future reference.
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