I lived in Canada for a number of years. While there I had a fine turtle as a pet – until one night a raccoon broke into the turtle’s enclosure . No more turtle.
I note that a raccoon was recently discovered in Ireland: presumably an escape from a garden. Raccoons are omnivorous and opportunists and will take what wildlife they can find and have no hesitancy in upending refuse bins and scattering all about them for food items. I learned that the hard way while staying in a cabin in a forest in Ontario. The Forest and Wildlife Service in Ireland, with responsibility for the protection of native species, would be mindful to take seriously this news of a raccoon on the run. Raccoons would be quite capable of colonizing this country.
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Yes Patrick, if the ‘Coon’ is not stopped right now, it will upset the dwindling wildlife of the country just as the Mink, Grey Squirrel and other ‘imports’ have done but, I’m afraid that we in Ireland are never quick off the mark when it comes taking action on anything.
Paddy: I looked up some notes and see that the white-tooted shrew was recently discovered in Ireland by two post-graduate students – Dave Tosh of Queen’s University, Belfast and John Lusby of UCC.
On 8 May 2011 21:40, Patrick McCusker wrote:
> It is also interesting, Paddy, that White-tooted Shrews are,on occasion, > now found in Ireland. Dr Hayden in UCD I believe was one of the first, if > indeed not the first to verify this. > >