What Are Raccoon Dogs? – The New York Times

On Thursday, scientists unveiled new data on the attainable origins of the Covid-19 pandemic — and put an odd, squat creature squarely within the highlight.

Meet the raccoon canine; it earns its identify from its black facial markings, which give the animal a masked look and a more-than-passing resemblance to these notorious raiders of city trash cans.

The animals had been at least occasionally sold on the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, the place many virologists suspect that the Covid-19 pandemic might have began.

Scientists had beforehand introduced that swabs from the market had examined optimistic for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The brand new knowledge revealed that a few of these similar swabs additionally contained substantial genetic materials from raccoon canines.

The findings didn’t show that raccoon canines had been contaminated with the virus or that that they had handed it on to people. However they’re in step with the likelihood that wild animals on the market might have set off the Covid-19 pandemic.

Right here’s what to know concerning the animal within the information.

What are raccoon canines?

Regardless of their identify, raccoon canines aren’t shut family members of raccoons. They’re members of the canid household, a bunch that additionally contains home canines, and are most intently associated to foxes.

Raccoon canines are omnivores, eating on meals sources like rodents and berries. Though they seem svelte in the summertime, they pack on the kilos for winter, when their fur additionally turns into thicker. They’re the one canid species recognized to hibernate and are monogamous, typically residing in pairs.

The place do they stay?

Raccoon canines are native to East Asia, together with elements of China, Korea and Japan, the place they’re generally known as tanuki.

They’ve additionally change into widespread in elements of Europe, the place they’re thought of an invasive species. They’re typically hunted as pests.

Why are they farmed and offered?

Raccoon canines have lengthy been farmed for his or her fur. China is a number one producer of raccoon canine pelts; in 2014, the nation produced greater than 14 million pelts, 100 occasions as many as Europe, according to one report.

They’re additionally offered for his or her meat in stay animal markets. They had been offered on the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market no less than as late as November 2019, researchers have reported.

Are they the supply of the virus that causes Covid-19?

Not essentially. Laboratory experiments have shown that raccoon canines are vulnerable to, and able to transmitting, the novel coronavirus. However that doesn’t imply that they’re the pure reservoir for the virus. Even when raccoon canines on the market had been contaminated, they may have been an intermediate host, selecting up the virus from bats or one other species.

Raccoon canines and bats had been each widespread on and round among the farms that provided the market, scientists have famous.

An analogous situation might have unfolded twenty years in the past, after the emergence of SARS, which can be attributable to a coronavirus. In 2003, scientists found evidence of contaminated palm civets and raccoon canines at a stay animal market in Shenzen, China. However subsequent analysis finally pointed to bats because the pure reservoir for the virus that causes SARS; raccoon canines seemed to be intermediate hosts.

Can I pet a raccoon canine if I see one?

It’s in all probability not a good suggestion, as tempting because it is likely to be. Covid-19 apart, the animals are recognized to be vectors for different illnesses, together with rabies. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends against maintaining raccoon canines as pets.