The Curonian Spit National Park has asked residents to report sightings of raccoons, as the invasive animal species poses a threat to local fauna and harms residents. The local authorities have allowed hunters to trap the animals all year round.
Veronika from Juodkrantė inspects the apples stored for the winter – the pantry is locked, but even a small crack is no obstacle for the raccoons that have settled in the Curonian Spit.
"There is an outdoor fridge, maybe they smelled something, so I look at the cord from the fridge [and one] has been chewed off. And there are also white, black hairs there," the woman says.
The Curonian Spit National Park Authority collects information on sightings of raccoons. This year, 10 cases have been reported by residents, most of them in the Juodkrantė area.
"A raccoon was found trapped in a fence in Amber Bay," says Modestas Bružas, biologist of the Curonian Spit National Park. "The firefighters arrived and pulled the trapped raccoon out of the fence. Unfortunately, it escaped and continues to wander somewhere."
In autumn, the racoons are very active in visiting people's homes and looking for food, mostly fruits and berries.
Although the creatures look cute, they are an invasive species, common in the foothills and forests of Central and North America. The first raccoons in Neringa were hunted almost a decade ago.
"When a new fauna is introduced, our native fauna immediately has a competitor," says Bružas.
"Some species, such as bird species, are not adapted to the fact that such a predator can tear up a nest in a tree or on the ground," he adds.
To limit the racoon population, the local administration has turned to hunters.
"We are asking for help from hunters, and hunters [can] catch them with traps," says Neringa Mayor Darius Jasaitis.
Last year, hunters caught one racoon, the year before – three. Residents are advised to keep their food waste securely stored to discourage raccoons from entering their homes.
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