Raccoon trapped in Bull Arm a rare find

Newfoundland and Labrador's chief veterinarian says a raccoon trapped at the Bull Armconstruction site this week will likely be put down.

Hugh Whitney said the young male was one of three raccoons reportedly seen in the area recently.

He said the animal likely came to the island aboard a truck or shipping crate, but since no one knows how it arrived, or where it's from, it can't bereturned to the mainland.

Whitney said letting the raccoon stay in Newfoundland is out of the question.

"They're not a native species here, so they're not wanted in terms of competing with other animals," he said.

"There's also a risk of introducing diseases and, certainly in my world, raccoons are very well known for moving rabies around eastern North America."

An occasional visitor

Whitney said raccoons occasionally turn up in Newfoundland, and so far this year he's had reports of a raccoon in Port aux Basques and another one in Conception Bay South.

Whitney said he has not heard of raccoons breeding on the island, but said if theyestablish a population in Newfoundland, that could create problems for local species.

"Raccoons eat almost anything," he said. "They can eat birds, they can get at ducks, they would out-compete other mammals in their habitat. So any smaller mammal species might be pushed out."

Whitney said conservation officers have set traps for other raccoons thought to be in the Bull Arm area.