Racoons

 Certain species do well, some don’t. Some species decline, some increase and spread. Natural selection, sometimes just opportunism, often food and habitat abundance, also benefits, play a part in a species often dramatic increase in population expansion. Red Kites have increased enormously. Buzzards also. Rats, mice and sone species of deer are thriving, in some part due to deliberate or accidental help from man. Another fast breeding species that is having a massive population expansion is the Racoon.

Racoons seek out new areas that offers the biggest benefits. The population expansion isn’t down to natural selection in this  case, Racoons being less intelligent than most species, it is pure opportunism and the fact that within the new places they go to, the resident species offer very little resistance to the newly arrived settlers, often resulting in the new arrivals taking their habitat.

Racoons, like most species, are only interested in their own well being and do not respect the resident inhabitants, often being aggressive and ignorant to other species. 

Racoons are a lazy species, with indigenous species often seen cultivating habitat, foraging for food, and improving shelter, only for the opportunistic Racoons to take the benefits. 

Racoons quickly outnumber the native species due to rapid breeding and the fact they have much bigger broods, generally, than the native species. 

Racoons are quite smelly creatures and often try to mate with the young of resident species. 

Some of the less educated believe that the rapid expanse of the Racoon is acceptable, even to the detriment and, ultimately, possible extinction of the native species. For example, the Grey Squirrel all but irradiated the native Red Squirrel in England due to their aggressive behaviour toward the native species, resulting in a physical lack of habitat to shelter both, so the more aggressive and faster breeding  Grey Squirrel took over.

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