This raccoon is living in the lap of luxury after moving himself into a German zoo — and the keepers can't do anything about it.
A wild raccoon reportedly managed to bypass the safety barriers at Heidelberg Zoo and set up shop in the existing raccoon exhibit. Staff discovered the illegal tenant on Friday.
"Fred came to us and got used to the good life in the zoo," a zoo official told Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.
Though he's the new kid on the block, the raccoon has seemed to get along with his roommates. And now that he doesn't have to go scrounging for food, he's gotten used to the routine feedings. Keepers even nicknamed him Fred, knowing he's there for the long haul.
European law says wild animals cannot be released back once they have been held captive. And because raccoons are considered invasive alien species in Europe, having spread through the region from North America over the last 70 years, Fred will also have to be neutered.
Fred may not be able to have any descendants to inherit his deluxe apartment in the sky, but for now, he's just enjoying his new digs.
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