A raccoon that had been on the loose in Wexford has finally been caught. With the help of the Wexford Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and a local resident.
The Wildlife Protective Services had been trying to get hold of the non-native animal for a number of weeks. Yulia Vasetska who lives in Ballygarret had been feeding the critter for some time as it had been visiting her garden. Peanut butter and toffees proved to be an irresistible bait to trap Garreth the raccoon. The WSPCA made the following statement following Garreths capture, outlining how it could have been a very different outcome had he not been captured: "Thankfully for this guy it is a happy ending as we managed to secure an ideal knowledgeable home which is both approved and licensed and he will have the company of other raccoons. The story could have had a very different ending had we not been able to secure this home. There has been lots of comments about how cute he was on Facebook but these are animals that need specialist and specific care, good intent is not enough to provide them with a home but a very sound knowledge and decent facility are needed. They also pose a considerable risk to our wildlife if they were to escape and populate the country as they have done in central Europe. He will now be microchipped, licensed and neutered and hopefully live a long life although in captivity." Garreth is now in his new home, pictured above.
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