City's Raccoon Dogs Expand Presence, But Population Stable: Survey

Raccoon dogs continue to expand their presence in Shanghai with Putuo District recording their trace for the first time this year, while Chongming Island, where no raccoon dogs were previously found, documented their appearance along the riverside areas in the north last winter, a report revealed on Sunday.

Rapid urban development has blurred the boundaries between urban areas and suburban wilderness, threatening the natural habitats of many wild animals. Consequently, some wild species with strong survival instincts and adaptability have chosen to move into cities and live alongside humans.

The raccoon dog, a national second-class protected animal, is a typical example of such urban-dwelling wildlife.

Statistics show that Shanghai has been home to 3,000 to 5,000 wild raccoon dogs since 2021, distributed across about 300 areas, mainly residential complexes and urban green spaces.

Despite their active movement, the raccoon dog population remains stable and under control, according to the report involving 112 residential complexes in nine districts across the city and based on 440 questionnaires on residents' attitudes toward these animal species.

Compared with 2022, the current population of raccoon dogs has dropped significantly. In 2022, the average density of raccoon dogs in affected residential areas was 1.08 individuals per hectare, with an average encounter rate of 2.80 individuals per kilometer of sampling line.

By 2025, these two indicators had decreased by 62.0 percent and 63.6 percent, respectively. Both figures are the lowest since the census was launched four years ago.

This notable decline indicates that the issue of excessively high local densities of raccoon dogs in community environment, which drew widespread public attention in 2022, has been significantly alleviated, according to the report.

Traces of raccoon dogs have been spotted in 102 residential complexes, out of the 112 neighborhoods surveyed in districts such as Songjiang, Qingpu, Jiading and Minhang, based on this year's raccoon dog population investigations.

By strengthening regulations on waste disposal and cat food feeding, most communities have witnessed a marked drop in the average density and encounter rate of raccoon dogs. For example, the density in the Milannuo Guidu community in Songjiang District, one of the residential complexes with the highest density, decreased from 5.8 per hectare in 2022 to 2.22 per hectare this year.

This signals an improvement in the previously excessive local density of raccoon dogs in communities seen four or five years ago, said Wang Fang, a researcher at Fudan University's School of Life Sciences, head of the research team.

"Moreover, raccoon dogs are less likely to take the initiative to approach humans now, further reducing the potential risk of conflicts with people," he added.

Poor management of wet waste and unregulated feeding of cat food are the two main factors leading to the increase in raccoon dog populations in residential areas, according to Wang.

The 4th census shows that the number of raccoon dogs sighted in communities with cat-feeding activities was 2.75 times that of communities without such feeding. Communities with poor wet waste management had 1.95 times as many raccoon dogs as those with proper management. Communities failing in both aspects had 3.32 times more raccoon dog sightings than those excelling in both waste control and feeding regulation.

"When human interference decreases, nature will take over to regulate the raccoon dog population," Wang observed.