Stories about raccoons forcing their way into German hospitals, zoos, and even power stations have helped make the animals infamous. Another tale has also endured — that Nazi commander Hermann Göring was responsible for releasing them into the wild — but the evidence points to that story being false.
Here's what to know
In Kassel, a city in central Germany often described as Europe's "raccoon capital," the Göring rumor has persisted. But BBC Future reported that archival research found no proof he personally ordered the animals' release.
Records traced by Eberhard Leicht, a former leader of central Germany's Vöhl Forestry Office, show that two pairs of North American raccoons were released near Lake Edersee in April 1934 to "enrich the fauna." He said, "There is no indication anywhere that politicians – such as Göring, as a member of the Nazi Reich government – had any influence on the decision."
By sampling DNA from more than 400 raccoons, Alain Frantz, zoology curator at the Luxembourg Museum of Natural History, found signs that Germany's population came from multiple introductions. Those included populations connected to eastern Saxony and the Harz Mountains.
Germany is home to around 2 million raccoons, while Kassel alone is estimated to have about 30,000.
More background
Wildlife ecologist Berit Michler of Germany's Thünen Institute said, "They're really clever, they're able to climb everything," which helps explain how easily they can get into buildings and reach food.
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For homeowners, the problems can include both damage and hygiene concerns. Arne Jernelov, a UN specialist on environmental catastrophes, said raccoons often establish communal toilets: "And that, of course, is not very nice if it happens to be the attic of your house," he said, according to BBC Future. They may also carry parasites harmful to humans.
Researchers say the biodiversity case against raccoons is more complicated than alarmist headlines often imply. Michler's decade-long study in Müritz National Park found no evidence that raccoons are a major threat to Germany's native biodiversity. At the same time, research from Goethe University Frankfurt found that raccoons consume amphibians and their eggs, and European studies suggest they also feed on waterbird eggs and rare European pond turtles.
What can be done?
Germany's main response has been to hunt them. BBC Future reported that most German states permit year-round raccoon hunting, and annual kills exceed 250,000, up fourfold since 2005. Even so, public opinion remains divided, said Vera Heck, managing director of the Federal Association of Wildlife Rescue Organisations in Germany.
Heck has advocated a combination of measures, including sterilization and re-release, hunting in some cases, and fencing around protected habitats where rare animals may be at risk.
Sealing attic gaps, securing trash, removing outdoor food sources, and calling professionals for wildlife removal can help limit damage and reduce health risks.
Germany's raccoons are unlikely to disappear. As Heck put it, "At the moment they are shooting, shooting, shooting and every year there are more raccoons." Michler added, "There are a lot of silly stories going on here in Germany about raccoons – and not enough real research behind it. That's a big problem."
Where can I learn more?
Germany's raccoon problem is part of a story about how the animals adapt to life around people. These stories look at parasites in Europe, feeding-driven infestations, and raccoons' behavior around homes.
• Across Europe, a raccoon roundworm parasite is raising new concerns in suburban backyards.
• After a homeowner kept feeding them, 100 raccoons surrounded her house and refused to leave.
• At one homeowner's porch, raccoons tried to walk straight through the front door.
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