Two rare, hissing critters are wreaking havoc on one English village, attacking farm animals and terrifying residents, according to a new report.
The Japanese tanukis — also called raccoon dogs because of their similarities to both animals — apparently dug their way out of an enclosure in Big Lane, Clarborough Nottinghamshire, around 6 a.m. Tuesday, The Mirror reported.
One of the impish invaders — which are indigenous to East Asia and most closely related to true foxes — got into a tense standoff with one couple’s pet goat and pony, they told the outlet.
Mandy Marsh, 53, and her husband, Dale Marsh, 54, said they were awakened around 4 a.m. by a blood-curdling scream. Dale ran out to see what was going on.
“He came back and he said to me, ‘You are going to have to come and see this, there is something in the field attacking the pony and I have absolutely no idea what it is,’” Mandy said. “We ran out and this animal — we now know it’s a raccoon — was trying to attack our goat. The pony was standing in the way trying to protect the goat. The raccoon was trying to kill it.”
“This raccoon was absolutely crazy,” she added. “It was hissing and screaming and snarling. It was going absolutely mad.”
It took about two hours for the couple to shoo away the crazed animal with pieces of wood.
But only minutes passed before it cornered a dog-walker, and then scampered off again, the couple said.
Police said they’d bring out a helicopter if the animals aren’t found soon, and a local wildlife tracker has volunteered to help, Mandy said.
“Residents in the Clarborough area near Retford are being warned to be vigilant after two captive raccoon dogs escaped their enclosure,” Nottinghamshire police said in a statement released to the outlet. “The animals, which are described as being about as big as a medium-to-small-sized dog, are potentially dangerous if approached as they are not domesticated.”
The department advised anyone who sees the raccoon dogs to immediately call police.