Raccoons - The New Europeans | Animal Documentary

Expansive forest lands, extensive lakeside shores. Here, it is home from home for American raccoons. Europe is not actually their natural habitat. However, every day the new settlers expand their territory bit by bit, devouring nearly all in their way. They were brought here because they were needed, but now they want to stay. There are many assumptions about the former providers of exotic fur, albeit few know of their natural tendencies. How much of a threat do these new citizens actually pose? It was not easy for the raccoons to cross the great ocean divide. It was only with the assistance of humans that they have today reached the shores of Germany. At present, it's estimated that there are around half a million now living here. These clever omnivores are extremely adaptable. They can find nutrition everywhere, but especially near water. They test the waters for edibles with their paws. It has nothing to do with washing. Referred to as wash bear in many languages, the name is a misconception. It is in streams and lakes that the raccoons find their biggest choice of menu. Invertebrates like snails or freshwater crabs constitute 40% of their overall diet. In contrast to former wisdom, raccoons actually have very good eyesight. However, under water, it is only their sense of touch that helps. Once caught, he's not going to let this crayfish get away so easily. Their capabilities gave rise to fears. This near insatiable omnivore can also be a threat to breeding families of rare birds. Cranes, for example, lay their eggs on the ground. Their choice of isolated flooded areas of the forest offers protection from many potential thieves. A fortress of sticks built on water is a good defense against floating enemies such as foxes, wild boar, as well as martens. But is the crane strategy effective against raccoons? Adult cranes are very vigilant and have been known to chase off a pack of wild boar. The female with her new offspring decides it is all a bit too risky. Raccoons have existed now in Germany's forests for 80 years. From the estimated half a million, around 15,000 are now native to northern Germany. A mother used to the presence of cameras with her litter allows us a glimpse of how the animals live. The baby raccoons are only a few hours old. So that the newborns can still without hindrance, the mother has plucked out the hairs around her nipples. The rearing of the kit falls entirely to the mother. The male plays no role at all. It is only after the first four days that the mother leaves the young ones alone. And that only for a very short amount of time. The kit of newborns remain on the bed of wood chips, painstakingly chewed out of the wood by the mother. The National Park of Muritz in the north of Germany is the perfect location to observe the raccoons. Berit Kernemann and Frank Mischler have conducted research over the last few years. They want to find out what the consequences are for other animals living in the national park. They record details exactly, measuring also the size of the nests. There is little known about the life of raccoons in Germany. Above all, it will be important for the species that lived here before the influx of the raccoons. What are the raccoons' dietary preferences? And is there a possible danger? Central and northern Germany are the most important breeding grounds for Germany's cranes. It would be a catastrophe if the raccoons impacted upon the birds' livelihood. A chick on its own is easy pickings. A raccoon would never let such an opportunity pass it by. Despite that, invertebrates make up a third of their diet. Most of the rest comes from fish and frogs. The chick makes a hurried retreat to the safety of its mother. The raccoon will not want to cross paths with an angry crane. The crane has a very dangerous weapon in its pointed beak. As gracile as the birds seem, they are more than capable of seeing off larger mammals. That cranes have to deal nowadays with raccoons in their environment is the fault of humans. It's the year 1934. The fashion of the time is swing music and raccoon fur coats. There's good money to be earned from the fur trade and raccoon farms spring up across Germany. The problem is that the quality of fur from animals held in captivity is not as good as those that are allowed to roam free. For this reason, a certain Baron Sittich of Berlepsch decides together with his breeder to let two pregnant raccoon couples settle in their forests. The eventual approval from Prussia's regional hunting association in Berlin, however, comes later and thereafter the introduction of the animals becomes official. My honored friends of nature, I consider myself very fortunate to announce today before you that we have taken a major step towards the enrichment of the German landscape. In the future, raccoons will be a symbol for good hunting. For those who can capture this luxury fur, here's to good hunting. This or something similar is how it seemed on April the 12th 1934. According to a newspaper report at the time, armed forces formed a guard of honor as a band played the national anthem. The four animals went on to successfully raise their young and formed a population in West Germany. Around 10 years later, that number had already expanded into East Germany. It's now 1945, shortly before the end of World War II. In a tiny resort northeast from Berlin, there's a fully functional raccoon farm as suddenly the warning sirens sound. The Russians are moving forward, supported by aerial bombers, who bomb assorted targets across German positions. According to reports, one of the bombs landed on the farm. 25 raccoons managed to escape from the damaged cages. They escape to the forests of Brandenburg, where they proliferate rapidly. Ten years after the end of the war, it's estimated that there are around 300 raccoons in Germany. In 1970, that figure had risen to 20,000. Today, they have long exceeded the half a million mark and can be found in other central European countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as in Eastern Europe's Belarus and Caucasus areas. In the meantime, the kit of cubs are four weeks old. They will sleep for the entire month of May. The family of raccoons will spend most of their time in their cosy wood hollow, but the mother has detected something that she's not happy about. Owls belong to the animals that are dangerous and will happily feast on the young raccoons. In haste, she evacuates her family from their hollow that very night in search of a new hiding place offering security. Carried by the scruff of their neck, they adopt a rigid carrying position, making them easier to carry. The family finds safety in the hollow of a tall oak. The cubs are now around five weeks old. In contrast to when they're older, at this age they are totally uninterested in anything new. It's protection against them falling out of the nest. For now, the little ones are totally fixated on their mother. That will all change in the summer. The warmer weather brings about many new things. Red deer also sport fresh new antlers. In the clearing, fox clubs are in bloom. The behavior of the cubs has now transformed radically. At two months, their desire to explore holds no bounds. They'll take every opportunity when their mother is away. As opposed to the cat family, raccoons can swivel their rear claws, allowing them to climb in both directions. The young raccoons play out what will later be their territorial prowess. It is the most dangerous time for the young cubs. Sometimes they die through misadventure after falling out of the nest. It's only a third of the youngsters who will survive their first half year. But for today, everything seems to be fine. The mother of this mischievous brood is on her quest for nutrition. She leaves an important clue for the scientists. Berit Könemann collects samples of the stools left by the raccoons. From them, she'll obtain an idea of what actually constitutes the diet of the raccoons within Müritz's national park. This is fine detectives' work in the laboratory. How often can the traces of the crane's newborn or other rare breeds be found in the stomachs of the raccoons? One thing is for sure. The raccoons love to eat a wide variety of things, but what they love more than anything else are sweet things, like cherries, plums. They love to eat all sorts of fruit. In this case, we can see that she found her fill at a wasp's nest. What's left are the wings and the chitin shells of her feast. It is only rarely that the scientists find the remains of birds. However, they don't want to give the all clear as yet. Even when most native animals can adapt and cope with the raccoons, there are some animals that will have a problem with them. Such particular instances will keep the scientists busy for some time. Brandenburg is home to some animals that are already considered extinct. These bog turtles are to be found nowhere else in the whole of Germany. Being a delicacy that Christians are allowed to eat during their time of fasting, humankind has virtually wiped out the entire population. Today, there are only around 70 adults scattered across the ponds close to Berlin. The shell of the animals is only sufficiently robust after one year. Until that time, they are vulnerable to attacks from enemies such as herons, otters and pikes. Since the 1940s, the raccoons have become an additional predator. However, they can't do much harm to a grown adult. They're not practiced in how they should go about cracking the shell. Apart from that, the omnivore is not concerned. There are other sources of much easier prey. In contrast, the baby turtles are in constant danger. Whereas the sea turtles lay hundreds of eggs, the bog turtles only lay around 15. Wild boar and foxes can easily dig out the vulnerable eggs. Wild cats and cranes can also be dangerous for the young animals as they make their way to the water. It's also a good opportunity for the raccoons. In the meantime, biologists are protecting the breeding area with electric fences and hatch the eggs in incubators. Only around a quarter of the exposed baby turtles survive. The raccoon's day begins at nightfall. The animals can still see as the sun disappears. Their sense of smell and their paws also assist them in finding their nutrition. Their senses, however, like most other animals, are not adequate to judge the speed of oncoming cars. Accidents are commonplace. More than half of the raccoons that die in Muritz's National Park are killed through traffic accidents. Frank Mischler collects the dead animal to learn a little bit more about its condition. Summer is the time for the newborns. Across the landscape, they can be seen out and about with the parents. It's already hard to differentiate between the young wild boar and the grown-ups as the stripes gradually disappear. The young raccoons now join their mother in the search for food. Unlike young foxes or wildcats, the young raccoons don't receive their food served up. The mother simply shows her brood the best places to hunt and then they're left up to their own efforts. Above all else, raccoons are nocturnal animals. Pictures like these are only possible because the animals are used to a human presence. Alone in the forests, the young raccoons would have no chance to survive on their own. They are still suckled. It's only in their fourth month that they are able to fend for themselves. As such, the mother never lets them wander far from her eyes and maintains contact with cores. This female is where she knows there is the best chance of prey on the riverbank and she will be proved right. The younger ones learn by observing. This little one would love to have a piece of such a tasty mouthful. However, according to their mother's rules, he'll have to obtain it on his own. Forests and lakes offer an ideal habitat for the raccoons. Here, they have found a home that offers a more comfortable living. 200,000 residents live in the shadow of the monument of Hercules in Kassel. Additionally, there are a couple of lodges who go largely unseen. The former capital of Hessen is today the capital for raccoons. Estimates calculate that around 50 adults can be found per square kilometre. The figure is without comparison in any other major German city. In the summer, with the young animals, that figure is probably almost double. The city is a paradise for the raccoons. Here, they find food and lodgings in abundance. Our subjects here, one can see, are in their element. Their territory within the city is much smaller than in the forest due to the fact that there is so much food here to be had. For some, their range is no wider than a stretch of road, whereas in the wild, the territory for a male raccoon would cover 17 square kilometres. The occasional human interference is of little concern to the raccoons. In the meantime, they've learned to run circles around the townsfolk. Up the drains and along the gutters, the raccoons have soon conquered the rooftops. Over 40% of the city's raccoons have found their shelter in buildings. Loud parties by resident raccoons have kept a number of Kassel citizens awake. As is so often the case, although the animals can be heard, they are much more unlikely to be seen. It's estimated that around 1,000 of the animals are resident in the north-west of Kassel alone. Conflict with their human neighbours is often problematic. The animals have blocked many a chimney and their faeces can cause health risk for humans if it's infected by the raccoon's roundworm. As cute as they might seem, and as agile as they are, they are known to be a constant cause of damage within their territory. In an apartment house, falling roof tiles have been reported. The likely suspect is the raccoon. The residents have opted to call in an expert. Yes, well, that could certainly be caused by a raccoon. As I said, we'll have to build up a safeguard here, and right there, and in the entire corner there. Obviously, the whole thing needs to be safeguarded. The raccoons shouldn't be allowed the chance to climb up onto the roof again. Already, they have caused hundreds of euros of damage, and that is only part of the damage. The animals also leave urine and faeces. We'll have to cut this entire section out and replace it, otherwise it will continue to smell. The raccoons have nearly gnawed their way through the roof. Frank Becker's job is to prevent such damage. Becker has developed an electric fence based on his experience to keep the animals away from the roofs. Their climbing abilities seem to know no bounds, and they'll always try again. It's really quite impressive what they've learned to overcome over the last years. Becker monitors the effectiveness of his preventative measures with the help of a hidden camera. The camera is activated by a movement sensor. Sometimes, even he is surprised by what is captured. You can't imagine for one minute that the raccoon would try something like that in broad daylight. Certainly not a better documentation of my work. These residents have found a solution for their problems. The temptation of a cherry tree brings the raccoons out of their cover. Cherries belong to one of their favorite foodstuffs. With a combination of fruit, nuts and roots, the raccoon can account for a third of its overall food requirements. The young raccoons are seeing cherries for the first time. The red fruits are immediately a strong magnet for the youngsters. Albeit, the cherries are not yet ripe. Each one is tested, but the juice is still a bit too sour for the little ones. The youngsters will have to exercise a little more patience. In the meantime, protection for the trees has been developed against the raccoons. Plastic cuffs are used to protect the nests of rare birds in Muritz's National Park. Towards the end of the summer, the young raccoons travel alone, having learnt to fend for themselves. However, there is still much that is new and enticing. The little ones still have to collect a lot of experience, even when their lessons are painful. To mistake a common toad with a common frog is not without its consequences. The toad secretes a poisonous substance through their skin that increases the blood pressure and paralyzes the muscles. Its effects are immediate. The toad is safe and the young raccoon has learnt a lesson that it will not forget or repeat. By the beginning of autumn, the young raccoons have already experienced many an adventure. The rutting season has begun for the red deer. No amount of roaring will help. The females are not yet readily in the mood. The deer cries what are known as deer tears. Not because they are sad, but because the brown liquid secreted through a gland from underneath the eye is used to leave a mating mask on the trees and shrubbery. The younger deer follow the example, although their scent is no match for the strong scent of the male adult. Again and again the female snubs the attention of the hormone-charged alpha male in the group. Now he will try another strategy. Deer also engage with social bonding through mutual grooming. However, his overtures have failed. Such an intimate practice is only permitted with the closest mates. It signals a vote of confidence. The cranes in Miritz's national park have now successfully reared their young and now join the migratory birds from Scandinavia. The raccoons seem to have little effect on the population. The bird's numbers have continued to grow in central and northern Germany, despite the growing presence of the raccoons. The scientists are interested to explore how the raccoons utilize their territory and go about setting traps so that they can attach a tracking device to the animals. When you set it, then be careful to make it very delicate here, okay? Cat food is used to entice the raccoons into the traps. When the trap has snapped shut, it triggers a mobile phone back at the research centre automatically, allowing Frank Mischler and Berit Koernemann the chance to retrieve the animal from the trap as quickly as possible. Now the scientists have to be patient. It can be a very long night at the project's headquarters. Tea and coffee help to stay awake. The night shift is important. The raccoons will try everything to escape from the traps. The longer they remain within, the higher the chance that they will injure themselves. Shortly after midnight, the trigger alarm goes off. Minutes later and the biologists are at the scene of the snare. It's a young male that has fallen into the trap. The young male seems to be scared, but not particularly aggressive. To keep the animal quiet, Mischler administers a sedative. Raccoons are fairly robust creatures and not prone to unnecessary panic. However, the scientist makes every effort not to injure the animal. Now the animal is heavily sedated and is totally unaware of everything. It's important to immobilize the animal so that we can limit the stress for both animal and the person involved. It's always fascinating for us when, within half an hour of being released from the working cases, the raccoons find themselves entrapped in another snare. It's as if they have no recollection of what has happened before. What is important for biologists is to take a gene sample. With such information, the pair have identified that the female remains her whole lifespan within a far more restricted territory than the male. Therewith, the raccoons avert the problems of inbreeding. Frank Mischler and Berit Körnemann will now be able to track the animal with the aid of the transmitter collar over the coming months. Whereafter, the collar will fall off alone when the battery has run out. Protected in the waking case, the raccoon awakes from his sedation. Now, he will reveal where he spends most of his time. With this information, the scientists can establish what makes up his diet. Now, both biologists can constantly be at the heels of the animal. You see, at the fork of the tree there is a large hollow. That signal would also be fitting for his sleeping quarters. The monitoring of the raccoons over the years has shown that they prefer damper conditions, where they can find insect larvae and amphibians. However, they also make above-average outings to the fields of the farmers, where they frequently plunder the corn and grains. Face to face, they are very rarely seen. Therefore, they have always been the source of many legends and many misunderstandings. Originally, it was thought that raccoons were loners. Nobody was exactly sure how they lived when they disappeared into the leafy forests. It was only around 1990 that scientists discovered a minor revelation. Frank Mishler has discovered a way to observe his subject more frequently. He lures the raccoon with corn to his video casing. His pictures confirm what researchers from Texas first detected. Male raccoons form alliances with up to two other males from separate groups. Even when there is the occasional conflict over the share of the bounty, together they patrol their territory, seeing off any possible competition. With such teamwork, they are more successful in their search for food and a mate than solitary animals. The end of autumn is a critical time of year for the raccoons. Ten million years ago, their ancestors lived in the tropics. Within such an environment, there was never a problem of food regardless of the time of year, not even in the winter. Singularly, this North American raccoon has solved the problem in that they consume excess acorns and nuts in the autumn, sometimes doubling their body weight to see them through the winter months. This talent allowed them to wander further north to the borders of the deciduous forest. All other members of the Procyonids remain to this day in the tropics. Germany, with its relatively mild winters, has proved to be an ideal environment for raccoons. However, hunters who originally let them loose in the wild now don't want them inhabiting the forests anymore. They consider them alien to the landscape. In the hunting season of 2010-2011, German hunters shot around 65,000 raccoons. However, they are far from being eradicated. Estimates number them to be over half a million across Germany. Hunting infringes on a mere 10% of the population. Aside from that, the raccoons react with a trick with which they deal with such a loss. At the National Park, the young animals from this year are out and about. The young females do not yet participate in the procreation. The role is reserved for the mature female. When the older members die, the younger ones pair up to counteract the loss. In a short amount of time, the population has exploded, making all efforts to hunt them counterproductive. In Spain, this has led to an all-out war on the animals in an effort to contain them. These two youngsters from this year are both wearing a transmitter collar. They too have been ensnared by the traps laid by the scientists. Frank Mischler has located the animal and is witness to its adolescent recklessness. Both animal and transmitter escape unscathed from the fall. It seems that against the raccoons there is no cure and there seems to be nothing that humankind can do about it. We'll have to get used to living together with the raccoons, whether we like it or not. We have no chance to restrict their numbers over such a large area. With a mixture of cunning and perseverance, the raccoon has now established itself. The omnivore is adaptable like few others in Germany. Towards the winter, the raccoon retreats for increasing amounts of time to its den, where it can conserve its energy more easily. Raccoons don't hibernate. It's only when it snows that they retreat completely to their hollows. The animals can not only survive the hardest of German winters, they are here for good. Humans and animals will have to adapt to that. But is it really such a problem? From the scientists' findings, it seems that the raccoon is not as dangerous as its reputation might have once suggested.