What Are Raccoon Dogs? – The New York Times

On Thursday, experts unveiled new knowledge on the doable origins of the Covid-19 pandemic — and put a peculiar, squat creature squarely in the highlight.

Meet up with the raccoon pet it earns its name from its black facial markings, which give the animal a masked visual appearance and a a lot more-than-passing resemblance to these infamous raiders of city trash cans.

The animals have been at minimum from time to time marketed at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market place, exactly where many virologists suspect that the Covid-19 pandemic may possibly have started off.

Experts experienced formerly announced that swabs from the market place had analyzed positive for the coronavirus that results in Covid-19. The new information unveiled that some of these similar swabs also contained considerable genetic product from raccoon dogs.

The findings did not show that raccoon pet dogs were infected with the virus or that they experienced handed it on to people. But they are reliable with the risk that wild animals at the industry may have set off the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here’s what to know about the animal in the information.

What are raccoon pet dogs?

Irrespective of their title, raccoon canines are not near kin of raccoons. They are customers of the canid spouse and children, a team that also consists of domestic pet dogs, and are most carefully associated to foxes. Contrary to other canids, they could hibernate in wintertime.

Raccoon canine are omnivores, eating on foods resources like rodents and berries. Even though they appear svelte in the summer time, they pack on the lbs for wintertime, when their fur also will become thicker. They are monogamous, frequently residing in pairs.

Exactly where do they are living?

Raccoon puppies are indigenous to East Asia, including pieces of China, Korea and Japan, in which they are recognised as tanuki.

They have also become widespread in areas of Europe, where they are regarded an invasive species. They are at times hunted as pests.

Why are they farmed and marketed?

Raccoon canines have extended been farmed for their fur. China is a main producer of raccoon puppy pelts in 2014, the region generated a lot more than 14 million pelts, 100 situations as numerous as Europe, according to 1 report.

They are also sold for their meat in reside animal markets. They have been marketed at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Industry at least as late as November 2019, scientists have reported.

Are they the source of the virus that leads to Covid-19?

Not essentially. Laboratory experiments have revealed that raccoon canine are inclined to, and able of transmitting, the novel coronavirus. But that does not mean that they are the purely natural reservoir for the virus. Even if raccoon pet dogs at the current market were being infected, they may well have been an intermediate host, picking up the virus from bats or a further species.

Raccoon canines and bats had been both equally common on and all around some of the farms that equipped the market, scientists have noted.

A very similar situation may have unfolded two a long time in the past, right after the emergence of SARS, which is also brought on by a coronavirus. In 2003, experts found proof of infected palm civets and raccoon pet dogs at a live animal sector in Shenzen, China. But subsequent study finally pointed to bats as the purely natural reservoir for the virus that leads to SARS raccoon puppies appeared to be intermediate hosts.

Can I pet a raccoon pet dog if I see one particular?

It’s likely not a great thought, as tempting as it may be. Covid-19 aside, the animals are identified to be vectors for other illnesses, like rabies. The Royal Modern society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends against maintaining raccoon canine as animals.