The North American racoon, cute as it may be, is classed as an invasive species.
Brought to Europe, in particular Germany, in the 1930s to boost the fur trade, these mammals have now spread across large parts of the continent. They are omnivorous and adaptable, competing with, and preying on, small native animals and birds, amphibians and reptiles. The EU has classed racoons as an “invasive species”, a designation that requires member states to control their population.
Introduced species are increasingly being recognised across the world as problematic. The financial cost of controlling their numbers and their impact on biodiversity is estimated at over £200 billion annually. The fur trade has been a major effector of these introductions across the globe with even the Shetland Isles being part of that trade.
Read more:
The Economic History of the Fur Trade: 1670 to 1870 (North America)
The Canadian Museum of History: Fur Trade