A horde of angry and drunken raccoons are killing pets and destroying homes in Germany, according to the Telegraph.
Several homeowners reportedly returned from their vacations to find their kitchens ravaged by the inebriated animals. They are reportedly facing repairs of almost $11,000. Local news sites reported the animal was found eating pet rabbits and fish and smashing beer bottles to reach the alcohol inside, according to the Telegraph.
Dr. Berthold Langenhorst from the environment association Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) said, “raccoons are funny and clever… and they like beer,” per the Telegraph. (RELATED: Man Torn To Pieces By 40 Crocodiles After Falling Into Their Enclosure)
Homeowners face repair bills of up to €10,000 after the animals destroy kitchens
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 16, 2023
Berlin’s senate refused to approve of the killing of raccoons last year, encouraging the public to instead lock their bins, the Telegraph noted. Hunters reportedly complained about this position, since the animal is a danger to local wildlife. Germany’s National Hunting Association (DJV) reportedly suggest implementing raccoon meat in the national diet and using their fur for “high quality, eco-friendly clothes.”
DJV reportedly killed 200,000 raccoons in 2022 to contain their increasing population. Scientists believe that hunting had the opposite effect, increasing the already high birth rate of this “unbelievably adaptable animal.”
“These animals, which are so cute at first sight, have become a plague in some parts of the country,” according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper.
The outlet reportedly suggests the only possible solution would be to learn to live with the species.
“In less than a century this species has made Germany its home. That’s a story of both success and suffering,” the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted.