THE Scottish SPCA are appealing for information about a raccoon found in Lanarkshire.
The animal is fairly tame, so it is thought that it is a pet that has either been abandoned or has escaped.
Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We are appealing for information after one of our animal rescue officers was called out to a raccoon in the Libberton area.
“It is illegal to release a non-indigenous species into the wild, so we believe it may have been a pet that has escaped.
“If we are unable to identify the raccoon’s owner we will find a specialist who will be able to provide the expert care that raccoons require.”
In Sunday’s paper, we told the story of the animal’s discovery after it killed a dozen chickens on a farm.
When chicken breeder Debbie Hewison’s prize birds were found dead near their coop, the obvious culprit was a fox.
But when unusual footprints were discovered at the scene of the grisly crime, a mystery soon unfolded.
It turned out that the prints belonged to an adult raccoon, a species which doesn’t exist in the wild in Scotland.
The animal was also seen on CCTV footage, with specialists then sent out to catch the animal and take it into Scottish SPCA care.
Senior Animal Rescue Officer Stephanie Kirk said: “It is believed that the raccoon has been in the Libberton area for a while now, having first been spotted a few months ago on security camera footage.
“A week ago, a local farmer called a pest control specialist after strange tracks were found on the property and several chickens were killed.
“The pest control specialist set a fox trap and contained the raccoon before calling us to collect it.
“The raccoon is in good condition but we’re not sure where it came from. We’re hoping the public will be able to help us find out how this non-native animal came to be in Scotland.”
Anyone with any information about a raccoon in the Lanarkshire area is urged to call the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
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