OSAKA - Raccoons are increasingly appearing in urban areas of Japan, including residential neighborhoods near Shin-Osaka Station, raising concerns over disease, attacks on people and agricultural damage that reached about 700 million yen nationwide last year.
Despite their familiar appearance, raccoons are designated as invasive alien species in Japan and can become aggressive toward people, including biting and lunging at them.
Their distinctive black markings around the eyes and striped tails helped make the animals popular in Japan, particularly after the 1977 television anime Rascal the Raccoon.
Large numbers were subsequently imported from North America as pets. However, their aggressive nature made them difficult to keep, and some owners abandoned them, allowing populations to establish themselves in the wild.
Japan designated raccoons as an invasive alien species in 2005.
Experts warn that bites can also carry the risk of infectious diseases, including rabies, which is almost invariably fatal once symptoms develop.
Agricultural damage caused by raccoons has also increased sharply. Losses nationwide reached about 700 million yen last year, the highest level on record and nearly 20 times the amount recorded around two decades ago.
Kobe has responded by turning to private groups for help with trapping.
The city established the Kobe Raccoon Busters initiative in July, with 20 organizations that had received training or other instruction joining the effort. One participating group is a club at Kobe High School.
Raccoons have appeared on school grounds in Kobe, where they have reportedly scattered feces and caused other problems.
The school's Natural Science Research Association began participating in trapping activities this year after raccoons had been seen for several years. The club caught one raccoon last week after students checked a trap following classes and found an animal inside.
The group had already captured another raccoon in July and plans to continue its activities while also studying the animals' ecology.
One student said the work was important not only as research but also for protecting students' safety.
Capturing the animals, however, is not always straightforward.
In the Dojo area of Kobe's Kita Ward, raccoons have damaged crops including grapes, prompting participating groups to install traps.
One group caught two animals, but one escaped before it could be secured.
Raccoons have highly dexterous front paws and can sometimes open traps and escape. In another case, a camera placed in front of a cage showed that bait disappeared during the night without the raccoon being caught.
People involved in the trapping effort described the process as a contest of intelligence between humans and raccoons, with success often depending on which side outmaneuvers the other.
Experts say one of the main reasons raccoon numbers have risen so sharply in Japan is the lack of natural predators.
In North America, raccoons face predators such as coyotes, but Japan has few animals that routinely prey on them.
The problem is becoming increasingly visible in Osaka.
Raccoon numbers in Osaka Prefecture have risen rapidly over the past 20 years, while the locations where they are captured have gradually moved closer to densely populated urban areas.
Osaka city received 397 reports of sightings and related incidents last year.
Yodogawa Ward recorded the largest number of raccoon-related incidents in the city, and residents have reported sightings in neighborhoods close to Shin-Osaka Station, one of western Japan's main railway gateways.
A man living in a residential area near the station said he encountered raccoons about two weeks ago.
Video he recorded showed several of the animals approaching him, and he said a total of six raccoons appeared in the parking area of his home.
The man said what frightened him most was that the animals did not appear afraid of people. He has lived in Osaka for about 40 years and said it was the first time he had ever seen raccoons there.
Another nearby resident said raccoons had eaten grapes grown in his home garden.
Around 30 bunches had been growing, but the fruit was stripped away. The man said he had suffered similar damage three years earlier and that this year's losses were the worst so far.
He said he did not know how many raccoons were living nearby and feared there could be more.
Reports have also emerged from Osaka's Konohana Ward.
One resident said raccoons had eaten medaka fish kept outside, leaving containers overturned and the area in disarray. Around 10 fish were believed to have been eaten.
Other residents also reported seeing two or more raccoons, while security camera footage captured an animal resembling a raccoon.
Another resident said four large raccoons had been seen in the neighborhood at around 4 p.m. the previous day.
A television crew searched the area for a total of about eight hours over two days before eventually spotting an animal larger than a cat running beneath a wire fence.
An expert who examined the footage identified the animal as a raccoon, citing features including its pointed face, slightly curved posture and the way it moved its front paws along the ground.
With raccoons moving deeper into urban areas, experts say people should avoid approaching or interacting with them.
"The best thing is to pretend you haven't noticed it," one expert said.
Residents who repeatedly see raccoons, or suspect they are living in a vacant house or another property, should report the information to their local government.
Feeding the animals should be avoided under all circumstances because raccoons can learn to associate people with food, potentially increasing the risk of future encounters.
Experts also stress that the current problem is largely the result of human actions.
Raccoons were originally imported in large numbers because they were considered cute pets, only for some owners to abandon them after discovering how aggressive and difficult they could be.
Because the animals can carry disease and cause extensive damage, experts say controlling their populations is necessary.
As raccoons are designated invasive alien species, residents who find them are advised to contact their local municipality rather than attempting to capture or handle the animals themselves.
Source: KTV NEWS
