AN IMPORTED PEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12892, 14 June 1905, Page 5

AN IMPORTED PEST.

STORY OF TWO AMERICAN RACOONS. EXHIBITED AT ROTORUA. PREFERRED LIFE IN THE OPEN. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington j Tuesday. The North Island settler will not be at all pleased to hear that the North American racoon has been added to the list of animal pests he may have to encounter in the future. A few months ago a number of wild animals arrived at Auckland from America, consigned to the New Zealand Government. They were chiefly sport animals of the deer class, wapiti, moose, etc., including a present of a dozen wapiti from President Roosevelt. There were also canvas-back ducks and a number of other classes of game, to all of which tne acclimatisation societies said "Hear, hear." But incidentally there were two racoons. Nobody knows where they came from, or why they were considered desirable animals to bring to New Zealand. The racoon is not a sporting animal, and he is most unpopular in America, except in the form in which he is usually seen around ladies' necks. He has a reputation for committing great slaughter amongst both wild and domesticated birds, often destroying them for love of the occupation, without eating more than a morsel or two. He also ravages fruit and young plant crops, so the fanners will be fairly .unanimous in their welcome of the new pest. When the menagerie arrived the different animals and birds were handed over to the Tourist Department, by which they were distributed to the parts of the colony they were best suited to; but nobody knew much about the racoon, and as Mr. Donne was out of the country.it was decided to keep the animals for exhibition in the Sanatorium grounds at Rotorua. There they would be now if they had not escaped. That is what has happened. According to a private letter received from a gentleman in Auckland, who takes a great interest in acclimatisation matters, he recently went to the Sanatorium grounds for the express purpose of inspecting the racoons, but they were not to be seen, and he learned thai, they had escaped within a few weeks of being received. The litter of the racoon is two or thief, so any man who shoots one or more of these luxfaced creatures within the next month or two will he doing a-kindness to the New Zealand farmer and poultry-keeper.