A RACCOON captured on camera by a Co Tyrone farmer going into a chicken coop on his farm has been humanely destroyed on the instructions of the Environment Agency.
David McCullough, whose farm is between Bready and Strabane, issued an appeal for traps to catch the animal after chickens were killed.
The Environment Agency became involved as raccoons are not native to Ireland and are listed as one of the most damaging invasive species.
Conservationist Conor McKinney said it was believed the raccoon escaped from a secure outlet. He said raccoons are considered extremely damaging to native wildlife.
“It’s one of the most damaging species in the world. There were serious problems when they have escaped into the wild in Germany, Switzerland and Austria," he said.
"Unlike places where birds can nest on the top of trees and escape them, we have a lot of ground-nesting birds and birds nesting in low bushes and raccoons can destroy them. If they establish a population here, it would be really bad for the biodiversity."
The raccoon was captured yesterday by Foyle Wildlife Rescue which had hoped to find a secure licensed sanctuary for it. Spokeswoman Niamh McManus believed the raccoon’s origins could be traced and that the animal might fall outside legislation which demanded that it be destroyed.
“I found it on the side of the road and brought it straight to a vet to be checked. If you lift a raccoon properly it cannot swing round to bite you and I have large areas for the transport of large badgers and swans which I was able to use,” she said.
Ms McManus said the organisation was approached by Mr Hamilton who asked for her help in finding the raccoon.
“We have had a number of centres in touch to say they could house [the raccoon],” she said
Ms McManus had hoped the raccoon could be saved as it appeared to be quite domesticated.
“He was lying on his back, eating grapes and bits of shortbread,” she said.
Despite Ms McManus's hopes, the raccoon was humanely destroyed yesterday afternoon at a north west veterinary clinic acting on instructions from the Environment Agency.
