Runaway raccoon found in Fermanagh

Published Friday, 03 February 2012
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Police are trying to solve the mystery of how a runaway raccoon more commonly seen on the beaches of South America has ended up in Co Fermanagh.

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Rocky, as he has been nicknamed, was discovered this week on a farm in Derrylin.

He's a ring-tailed coati, which is a member of the raccoon family - and despite his cute looks and friendly demeanour he is classified as a dangerous wild animal.

However Rocky has been making friends at the Co Down veterinary clinic where he is being looked after by exotic specialist vet Michael Griffith.

He said: "He's settled in very quickly, eating well seems very fit and healthy, seems reasonably normal and relaxed.

"They can give fairly nasty bites, they're only a small animal - they're not likely to do as much damage as a tiger for instance but they can still if handled aggressively give fairly nasty bites.

"It appears it's used to human company, it doesn't seem scared of members of staff or anything."

Police are now trying to work out how the creature ended up in the Fermanagh wetlands.

With his remarkable agility and climbing skills it is thought Rocky may have escaped from its owner, and because he is not micro-chipped, it will prove difficult for police to trace where he is from.

But the adaptable animal doesn't seem to be missing his tropical environment too much - so in the meantime it looks like Rocky will be hanging around.

© UTV News
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1 Comments
Pericles in England wrote (109 days ago):
The coati is a wild animal but not a ‘dangerous wild animal’. As any other wild animal, it will fight if attacked and it is not a good idea to corner one but describing a coati – typically friendly to man (or indifferent to him) – as dangerous is alarmist and typical of the way in which DEATHRA and similar government departments around the World seek to isolate citizens from the natural environment. ??
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