Fashion for racoon dogs put wildlife at risk

They might have cuddly black and white faces but when it comes to keeping them as pets racoon dogs are more fox than teddy bear.

Conservationists have warned that the animals, also known as tanukis, are being sold to people taken in by their fluffy appearance, but who then dump them in the wild when they find out how aggressive they are.

The dogs, which originate from Japan, China and Siberia, could devastate the natural habitats of amphibians and ground-nesting birds. The RSPCA is investigating an increasing number of sightings after a video of several tanukis kept in cages at a market in Lancashire was circulated on social media. The dogs, which are very hard to domesticate, closely resemble foxes in their scavenging and eating habits.

Ros Clubb, exotic specialist at the RSPCA, said: ‘‘We know that some raccoon dogs are living wild in Britain and there is a risk that they could start to breed. We want the authorities to ban the sale of these animals as pets. They are simply not suitable and they are escaping and getting out into the natural environment.

‘‘They compete with other predators or large mammals such as dogs, badgers or foxes. They compete for the same food sources or den sites. They also pose a disease risk, they could introduce rabies and can carry some parasite species. They are seen as a threat to the natural species that are there.’’

The dogs can also carry fox tapeworm (echinococcus multilocularis) which can be fatal in humans if left untreated and has an incubation period of up to 20 years.

They have only recently been added to the invasive species list, which means it will be illegal to sell them without a licence in a few years, but at the moment there are no restrictions on their sale.

Sweden had imposed a cull on the dogs after growing numbers crossed the border from Russia, where they were once hunted for their fur. Per-Arne Ahlen, of the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management, warned: ‘‘There’s a high risk that Britain already has an emerging population and that, I can promise you, will not be good for its amphibian life. In an island country like the UK, you should do anything within your power to keep them out.’’

The RSPCA said it was ‘‘very concerned about the trend of keeping raccoon dogs as pets because we have in recent years dealt with a number of cases where the animals have either escaped, or been deliberately released to the wild. We urge people to think hard about taking on any exotic pet – they can be much more difficult to look after than people realise.’’

Last year, the charity received 15 complaints about raccoon dogs (up from four in 2015) and rescued three.