Raccoons on the run: dogs and drones search for escaped animals on Isle of Wight

Sniffer dogs and drones are scouring the Isle of Wight in search of four escaped female raccoons.

The animals escaped from their enclosure overnight and have not been in the Amazon World Zoo Park for very long.

Locals are asked to keep an eye out, but the zoo said the raccoons are “not normally aggressive.”

“Everyone is looking and we have sniffer dogs and drones looking for them,” said Supervisor Rowena Welsh.

‘They are not dangerous and the protocol is that people should call us straight away and not try to approach as they would be very scared.

“They are not dangerous and they would be more afraid of us than we are of them.”

The zoo said on Facebook that the raccoons “are not normally aggressive, but will be fearful.”

“If you live locally, check the sheds and bonfire stacks, they sleep during the day and become active at dusk,” it added.

Raccoons are nocturnal animals animals and the most recognizable, the North American raccoon, can grow up to 90 cm in length, with large males sometimes weighing more than 20 kg.

They are recognizable by their black “mask” and black-striped tail.

Amazon World Zoo Park, near Arreton on the east side of the island, describes itself as the largest collection of exotic animals in the world. Isle of Wight.