The incident took place on Tuesday, June 11. Firefighters from Różyniec:
08:57 – we received a call about a raccoon trapped in a ventilation shaft at a primary school in Szczytnica.
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Firefighters from Różyniec and Bolesławiec took part in the operation. The animal was unharmed and was released into the wild.
Raccoons arrived on the Old Continent in the 1930s. They were supposed to be... fur animals. They reproduced very quickly. Some people tried to make them replacements for dogs and cats. However, that plan quickly went awry. As the natemat.pl service reports:
Because of their beautiful appearance and high intelligence, people began keeping raccoons in their homes. They bought the animals thinking they would cuddle and perform tricks. Reality was different. Raccoons proved destructive and reluctant to follow the rules of the household. For these reasons, they ended up on the street.
Although it should be noted that some people did succeed, and with excellent results. Unfortunately, some treacherous thief decided to take advantage of this. (More in the article: A thief stole… two raccoons. A reward is offered).
We have regularly reported in our pages that this beautiful but dangerous mammal can be encountered in Bolesławiec County. Here are some examples:
And it is no wonder; everything indicates that this will become an increasingly common sight. Natemat.pl:
Scientists estimate that the raccoon is colonizing Poland at a rate of 80–100 km every five years.
Are raccoons dangerous to people?
In the United States, this animal is considered a pest. Can it attack a person? Only if it feels threatened or wants to protect its offspring. Generally, however, it avoids confrontation with people.