A GERMAN city has been turned into the "raccoon capital of Europe" as the Nazi-era pests rampage through homes and raid dustbins.A popular theory suggests the wild animals earned the name of "Nazi raccoons" after they were introduced by Hermann Goering - the founder of the Gestapo - in the 1930s.
With cities offering lots of food and shelter, people living in Kassel have long been forced to share their space with the raccoons. Researchers have found the troublesome raccoons to be intelligent - even learning how to open secure bins. "They mainly eat what is easy to obtain, which is usually prey species that are abundant and readily available."After the introduction of the species, hunting was initially restricted but it was implemented in 1954 in Hesse when the raccoons started raiding chicken coops and crops.Frank Becker, a raccoon hunter, said: "They are a pest. I’ve seen attics that have been completely ruined by raccoons.