Overview
- The coalition’s draft, revised after consultations, would abolish the March–June closed season for adult raccoons and foxes under parent-protection rules, with implementation targeted for 1 April.
- The ministry estimates at least 120,000 raccoons in Hesse, citing risks to native birds, amphibians and reptiles as well as frequent damage to roofs and sheds.
- Urban areas carry the heaviest pressure, with researchers estimating more than 100 raccoons per 100 hectares in Kassel, roughly one per football field.
- Local authorities are intensifying culls, including Fulda’s increase from 1,640 animals in 2019/20 to 2,567 in 2024/25, which the county links to better outcomes for threatened ground-nesting birds.
- Non-lethal options face hurdles as Kassel’s sterilization pilot remains paused for legal review, while hunting groups seek support for live-trapping and Nabu urges habitat restoration and limits on food sources in settlements.