Raccoon dogs are not the same as raccoons. Even though they share a similar colour and shape, raccoon dogs belong to the family of species called Canidae, which it shares with dogs, foxes and wolves.
Originally coming from East Asia, 9,000 raccoon dogs were released for hunting in Eastern Russia and Ukraine between 1929 and 1955. Since then, the species has been spreading rapidly, and it can be assumed that it was already present in Luxembourg for a while.
The nature administration has received reports of raccoon dogs several times in recent years, but none of them could be caught and identified. They are not considered dangerous and will avoid humans.
The hunting law of 2011 includes the raccoon dog, which may be hunted all year round with the exception of the six-week between 1 March and 15 April.
