We need raccoons

I do have a kinda funny little story about a raccoon we encountered when I was a kid. My cousin and I were riding our bikes on some old dirt trails close to my house. We were going pretty fast and we took a corner. There happened to be a raccoon coming around the corner at the same time. We flinched as we tried to miss him and he stood up covering his eyes like he was praying not to be hit. I remember it like it was yesterday as it was kinda neat seeing a animal react similarly to a person in this case. Not something you’d expect to see out in daytime although more common then one would think. Much more common at night tho. They are so common along with skunks here you can easily attract them at night by offering them dog food. I would advise against this tho as I have said they can be rather destructive. They also will occasionally tussle with opossums over the food too.
 
The notion that keeping raccoons in captivity is inherently more cruel than any other species seems bizarre to me. I say that as someone who is broadly in favor of animal rights, loves raccoons, and could take them or leave them when it comes to this game. They truly aren't a common species in US zoos, though, even compared to other similar "pest" species like opossums, skunks, coyotes, and both red and gray foxes. Yet I'd consider them almost objectively more charismatic than any of the above. I've only been to a single zoo that keeps them, a relatively small wildlife sanctuary that I visited a few weeks ago. They were total hams and seemed to be having the time of their life.

I guess I would be pretty happy if we got them, but I can't possibly consider them a personal priority considering how many more exotic species are left untapped in addition to more common native ones.
 
I agree they are not very common in us zoos at all. I’ve yet to have gone to a wildlife park or zoo with them. Though some do exist in zoos here. The zoos have more of a problem keeping them out then putting them in as they often find a way in to animal enclosures. There’s actually viral videos of one getting caught by chimpanzees although he escaped with his life he did get roughed up a little and another of one getting in with gorillas. The keeper was able to distract the silverback in this case tho.
 
Would love to see them as a headliner of an Urban pack (as everyone here has already suggested!) If the next pack is a nocturnal pack, I would rather the inclusion of a skunk (which seems often to be ‘either or-ed’ with the raccoon) so that we could see the former headline a cities DLC later down the line!
 
A nice urban pack would be:

Raccoon
Giant squirrel species from Asia
Rhesus Macaque or Crab Eating Macaque
Coyote
Wild Turkey
Red Fox
American Black Bear
San Francisco Garter Snake

(If you have birds add Falcons or pigeons)
 
I do have to ask tho does a urban or even a cities pack relate to zoo tho? I’m not against it by no means as I’ve stated in earlier posts im all in with planet zoo and will buy every dlc. But in terms of future packs do they really stack up to desert, tropics, oceana, or forests. I guess that’s why I don’t really buy into the nocturnal pack hype as most can be equally at home in other packs. I still can’t really rule out a aves pack either tbh as the mechanics already exist from two previous frontier titles.
 
My takes for an urban pack would be:
  • our beloved trash panda for being not only super common in zoos and charismatic, but also filling a new niche, that being an arboreal north american and rn also colder climate animal
  • the black swan as a beautiful waterfowl in many parks, that also would add to our australian diversity
  • rhesus macaque, as the primary street monkey from southern asia. They are also very common in captivity and different enough from the japanese macaque to be unique while also similar enough to be the spectacle caiman of the pack as a relativly easy to do animal. Also our first primate from continential asia
  • the european red squirrel, common in zoos as many take in wild animals to nurture them and release them back into the wild, imagine it like fletchlinhs falling out of their nests. They also have a very fast and unique style of climbing and would be our first arboreal and overall fast moving rodent. Also first arboreal cold climate animal from eurasia.

And if its an animal pack additionally:
  • the marabou stork, an animal very common in large african cities. They live in a symbiotic relatshionship with us humans, as they eat our edible trash and help keep the city clean, which is why they are actually quite liked despite looking like bloody murder. Also our first stork.
  • Red fox aka mr worldwide for being not only a common zoo animal but also argueably one of the most successfull urban settlers and that on a world wide level
  • Canada goose aka the devil. They are THE urban pest and eventhough not many zoos keep them, aslong as they got a pond and/or a nice meadow aka most herbivore habitats, they will find you and they are gonna in it. Might be a pest but its hard to imagine a more iconic modern urban animal
 
I do have to ask tho does a urban or even a cities pack relate to zoo tho? I’m not against it by no means as I’ve stated in earlier posts im all in with planet zoo and will buy every dlc. But in terms of future packs do they really stack up to desert, tropics, oceana, or forests. I guess that’s why I don’t really buy into the nocturnal pack hype as most can be equally at home in other packs. I still can’t really rule out a aves pack either tbh as the mechanics already exist from two previous frontier titles.
Yes
 
Well I guess will see I would pay for a raccoon but it wouldn’t be my first choice. I don’t see us getting a cities or urban pack unfortunately due to the games lifespan questions. The longer the better for them. Which leaves a forest pack or nocturnal. I believe the raccoon may have been given a serious blow by not making the North America pack but will see. If we have two packs left and one does not happen to be a nocturnal I highly doubt raccoon makes it realistically. I don’t know to me a squirrel is a bad choice as i could think of 300 more exciting animals easily.
 
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I find it really interesting that they are so popular in Europe. I hope they do well in captivity there. They are kind of cute, so I don't think I would hate them, but there are many animals, such as the striped skunk, that I would pick instead. I respect the community's preference for them. It's a little mind-blowing that they are so loved there; whereas if they were exhibited here in a zoo that did not focus exclusively on native wildlife, I think people would actually be a bit angry ... or find it funny.
 
I find it really interesting that they are so popular in Europe. I hope they do well in captivity there. They are kind of cute, so I don't think I would hate them, but there are many animals, such as the striped skunk, that I would pick instead. I respect the community's preference for them. It's a little mind-blowing that they are so loved there; whereas if they were exhibited here in a zoo that did not focus exclusively on native wildlife, I think people would actually be a bit angry ... or find it funny.
I think the fact that they are kept more often in zoos in Europe is born out of necessity.
Raccoons are an invasive species. I don't know if raccoons are specifically hunted, I can't say anything about that.
But the fact is: If a raccoon is found and caught, it may no longer be released into the wild. Sometimes, for example, small raccoons are found in the forest, they are then raised and found shelter in wildlife parks or zoos. Some wildlife stations also have their own enclosures with raccoons. So if you don't kill them, they have to stay locked up. At least that's how it is in Germany. I can well imagine that other European countries don't treat the little bandits quite so nicely. In Germany it is forbidden to kill animals without a specific reason, only hunters with a hunting license are allowed to do so here.
I personally find them quite funny, just the way they finger their food looks too funny. However, I wish they would not live freely with us, they massively damage to our own species, especially the many songbirds.
Just last year, Eurasien Eagle Owl Lotte's entire offspring were eaten by raccoons and when you know that they don't belong here and Eurasien Eagle Owl are protected... and every chick counts. That's just incredibly sad.
 
I find it really interesting that they are so popular in Europe. I hope they do well in captivity there. They are kind of cute, so I don't think I would hate them, but there are many animals, such as the striped skunk, that I would pick instead. I respect the community's preference for them. It's a little mind-blowing that they are so loved there; whereas if they were exhibited here in a zoo that did not focus exclusively on native wildlife, I think people would actually be a bit angry ... or find it funny.
I feel the exact same way! If we got them in a pack, I’d definitely use them in some of my zoos, but they would not be a MUST HAVE and would certianly not be the sole reason I bought a pack. I think the Striped Skunk is so much more charismatic and interesting as a small mammal from North America (just an opinion), and even when talking about procyonidae, I’d prefer to see a coati or kinkajou! That having been said, I definitelt would not be mad or confused at their inclusion - they are fantastic, adorable little characters!
 
I would use them from them from time to time also. Definitely wouldn’t buy a pack for just the raccoon. It would be a neat animal but I’d probably pick the North American porcupine over a raccoon. I think if we were to get another year or two of support the raccoon may have a serious shot but with possibly two more dlcs for surely confirmed I doubt it honestly. Even a nocturnal pack going off what a actual zoo would have in a nocturnal house would not include the raccoon. They are much more likely to be featured in a outdoor aviary type exhibit.
 
It should perhaps be noted that, while raccoons are currently common in European zoos, there are now laws banning their breeding in captivity in any EU zoo and the EAZA are planning a studbook specifically for the purposes of reducing their captive population in favour of threatened species. They may be regular at the moment, but it's unlikely to remain that way in the future.
 
It should perhaps be noted that, while raccoons are currently common in European zoos, there are now laws banning their breeding in captivity in any EU zoo and the EAZA are planning a studbook specifically for the purposes of reducing their captive population in favour of threatened species. They may be regular at the moment, but it's unlikely to remain that way in the future.
While true, most racoons in captivity were not born in captivity, atleast in germany.
Like fini mentioned before, there are laws against killing then without reason but we also cant release them as they are invasive, so if racoons are caught they will be relocated into the nearest zoo and wildpark with the capacity to take them after some time in quarantine.
Aslong as they remain a problematic invasive species in europe they wont leave our zoos anytime soon
 
I'm sorry, but I don't think we should get them. Like paul said, they're considered a pest over here in the states, and I can't remember a zoo I've gone to that had them. They're also kind of boring tbh. That's the same reason I was against the inclusion of the European Badger.
You could say that about kangaroos in Australia...

I went to some zoos in Mexico that had some raccoons; the specific zoo is/was a small, sorta rundown zoo in Irapuato, Guanajuato. For a while it was low budget and not the best place, but it was a zoo, nonetheless, and I'd go every year when I went to visit. In more recent years the zoo has gotten better and better, likely because of the many Japanese immigrants. Anyways, what I was gonna say was that they had some raccoons, and when I went up they stuck their hands out of the mesh begging for some treats, but I just let it grab my finger, then it looked at me, begging, then let go. This was so many years ago, but I remember how soft its fur was...

Wow, so many memories. Sorry to ramble, but one year the circus came (in Mexico), and they had those trucks with cages in them. Well, one guy parked it in front of me and he went inside the building, and while he was in there, I saw the tiger and pet its back through (it was lying against the bars), and I could tell it loved it; so soft
 
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