Raccoon Dogs

• A new analysis of genetic data collected from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, has linked coronavirus to raccoon dogs.
• Laboratory experiments have shown that raccoon dogs are susceptible to and capable of transmitting the novel coronavirus.
  • But that does not mean that they are the natural reservoir for the virus.

About Raccoon Dogs

• They belong to the canid family and are closely related to foxes.
  • Ironically they are neither dogs nor raccoons.
• They are the only canids that hibernate during the winter.
• They are omnivores and eat rodents and berries and are monogamous, often living in pairs.
• Raccoon dogs are originally from East Asia and are commonly found in parts of China, Korea, and Japan, where they are known as tanuki.
  • They are also found in Europe, where they were first brought in by fur traders in the 1920s.
• Today, raccoon dogs are considered to be a threat to the local ecosystem in Europe and an EU report declared them “one of the most successful alien carnivores in Europe.”
  • However, in Japan, tanuki is revered.
• They are sold for meat and fur.
• Protection Status: Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.