The number of raccoons caught in Tokyo in fiscal 2022 has increased around fivefold in a decade, causing damage to crops in suburban areas, local media reported on Monday.
A total of 1,282 raccoons were caught in the Japanese capital in fiscal 2022, up from 259 in fiscal 2012, while the damage they caused to crops across the country amounted to around 450 million yen (2.88 million US dollars) in fiscal 2022, with fruits, vegetables and livestock especially susceptible, Kyodo News reported, citing government data.
There have also been reports of raccoons eating the endangered Tokyo salamander.
Known for being highly adaptable to the environment and rapid breeders, the omnivorous animals are believed to have spread mainly in the hills of the western part of Tokyo's wider metropolitan area and have been causing widespread damage to crops in more rural areas, the report said.
An increasing number of local governments have started tackling the problem after Tokyo drew up plans in 2013 to exterminate the animals. But according to local governments, such measures have so far proved ineffective in curbing the animals.
"Our traps are sometimes broken as raccoons are also desperate to live. Only a fraction is actually caught, so we are unable to grasp their overall range," said an official from a municipality.