A 'plague' of raccoons has stormed many houses across Germany, stealing beer and killing family pets..“These animals, which are so cute at first sight, have become a plague in some parts of the country,” the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a daily German newspaper, said..“But the problem can no longer be eradicated, so we have to learn to live with them. In less than a century, this species has made Germany its home. That’s a story of both success and suffering.”.The animals have reportedly been eating pet rabbits and fish..A video posted on social media shows a raccoon running away from an animal rescue worker in the office buildings used by MPs in central Berlin..The visit was “a welcome surprise... unfortunately, the little raccoon could not find his way back alone, so we gave him a little help,” the Bundestag stated..The country's senate rejected calls to sanction killing the raccoons, and instead said it would rather encourage the public to lock their bins properly.."Homeowners are being hit with repair bills of up to €10,000 (£8,600) after returning from their travels to find their kitchens damaged by the pesky creatures," the UK DailyMail.com reported.."Germany's National Hunting Association (DJV) said it killed a record 200,000 raccoons in 2022 in a bid to curb the population, which had risen from less than 10,000 two decades ago.".Scientists told the Dayilymail.com the population increase is almost exponential and that attempts to reduce it through hunting have actually increased the birth rate.."These animals, which are so cute at first sight, have become a plague in some parts of the country,' the Frankfurter Allgemeine reported.."But the problem can no longer be eradicated, so we have to learn to live with them. In less than a century this species has made Germany its home. That's a story of both success and suffering.".The newspaper said the animals have been linked to the Nazis due to the time period when they were introduced.."There is a popular belief that they were released in Germany on the personal orders of Hermann Goering, the founder of the Gestapo, in his role as head of the Reich's Master of the Hunt, but this has been disputed by historians," the Dailymail.com said.."Raccoons were first released in Germany in the 1920s during a time when their fur was highly desirable."
