March 5, 2025
SEOUL – As darkness falls over the West Seoul Lake Park, the park’s busiest visitors emerge – raccoon dogs.
These furry wild animals — a canine species not directly related to North American racoons — pay little attention to humans and their pets. While some moved away slowly when people approached, others were bolder, sitting right in the middle of the park’s main path, where foot traffic was heaviest. People, seemingly accustomed to the sight, simply walked past them.
The Korea Herald visited the park located in the southwest area of Seoul to explore the dynamics of this coexistence and the challenges of managing a growing urban raccoon dog population.
Among the 20-something people interviewed, some expressed indifference, others felt pity and a few admitted fear.
“I was scared at first, but I don’t care anymore. They don’t seem to care about humans either. Sometimes they roam around with their babies,” said Lee Young-in, in her 20s, who first saw raccoon dogs in the park two years ago.
When asked whether a raccoon dog had ever attacked her dog, she replied. “Never. They (her dog and raccoon dogs) don’t pay attention to each other and just go their own way.”
Although many people interviewed seemed unconcerned about the wild animals, not everyone felt the same.
“I’m scared. Whenever I see a raccoon dog, I immediately pick up my dog in case it attacks us. They’re really huge!” said Park Sung-ah, 48, gesturing with both hands to illustrate the size.
Caution signs for raccoon dog sightings at the West Seoul Lake Park. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Not everyone is like Lee or Park.
At the park entrance, a group of high school students showed keen interest in racoons and started chasing them, making loud noises. The startled raccoon dogs fled and continued running even after the students left.
Some were seen feeding the animals.
One woman in her 50s offered them cat food. Three raccoon dogs immediately gathered. “Otherwise, they will go hungry. What else do they have to eat,” she said. But she stopped when other people gathered around.
Later, another woman fed them cooked pork liver, saying, “We had sundae (Korean blood sausage) but didn’t eat the liver (that came with it). Since it’s meat, they will probably eat it.” Two raccoon dogs fought noisily over the food.
“In the spring, they were so skinny. But these days, they’ve plumped up – probably because people have been feeding them,” said a man in his 50s, who saw the scene.
The park attributed the growing raccoon dog population to human feeding. Park manager Hwang Yoon-sung said they remind visitors not to feed them through daily announcements, warning signs and encouraging people to avoid contact with the animals. A patrol also monitors the park 24/7 to prevent feeding, he said.
Caution signs for raccoon dog sightings at the West Seoul Lake Park PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Why are raccoon dogs increasing in urban parks?
Raccoon dogs, weasels and badgers are all native to Korea. But their presence in urban areas has been rising, a trend that has accelerated over the past 10 to 20 years, according to Woo Dong-gul, a researcher at the National Institute of Ecology’s mammal team and author of “Born in the Forest, Standing on the Road: A Field Scientist’s Record of Wildlife Roadkill.”
A report released in March by the city-run think thank Seoul Institute also showed that raccoon dogs have been spotted in 16 of Seoul’s 25 districts, with rescue cases steadily increasing: 49 in 2018, 63 in 2019, 69 in 2020, and 81 in 2021.
Woo identified two reasons for this trend.
“First, these animals exhibit high adaptability, even in urban ecosystems, allowing them to thrive in limited spaces,” he said. Raccoon dogs are omnivores and can feed on frogs, rodents, reptiles, fish, birds, insects, mollusks, fruits, and leftover trash.
The reason he gave is urban expansion and habitat encroachment. “Areas that were once farmland or forests have been developed for residential or urban use. As cities expand, the habitats of these species increasingly overlap with urban areas. Essentially, their original habitats have been incorporated into urban zones due to development.”
Improved urban green spaces in Seoul have also contributed, according to Choi Jin-woo, an ecological city specialist at the local environmental non-profit Korea Federation for Environmental Movements.
“Artificially created green spaces have grown lush over time, providing good hiding spots and even offering by-products like dropped food. Raccoon dogs have found habitats along streams and parks.
“This phenomenon is not unique to Seoul – it has also been observed (with other species) in cities like New York and London,” he noted.
Koh An-ja, a manager in Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Natural Resources Division, said that the West Seoul Lake Park’s ideal conditions for raccoon dogs — including green spaces, hiding spots under decks and water-friendly areas — may have contributed to their growing population.
However, life in both the countryside and the city is not always idyllic or romantic from a raccoon dog’s perspective, according to Choi Jin-woo.
“In the countryside, while they can roam freely, even during the day, over a wider area, they face the dangers of fast-moving cars — way faster in Seoul — leading to roadkill and the risk of pesticide contamination,” he said.
Last year, there were a total of 79,278 reported roadkill incidents involving animals, according to the Environment Ministry on Thursday. By species, cats accounted for the most cases (38,143), followed by water deer (18,267) and raccoon dogs (4,011).
“In Seoul, while there is garbage left by people that raccoon dogs can scavenge, they have to live in limited space, roam around only at night and must contend with conflicts involving humans and their pets,” said Choi.
How to coexist with raccoon dogs
Public perception of raccoon dogs is mostly positive according to a survey conducted by the Seoul Institute in March involving 1,200 Seoul residents. It revealed that 51.9 percent supported coexisting with raccoon dogs while 14.7 percent believed they should be removed.
Despite their generally positive perception, recorded incidents of biting by raccoon dogs occasionally occur.
One online user shared a post on a Never community site in October featuring a photo of her hand bitten by a raccoon dog. She wrote, “Should I see a doctor for this?”
Experts and government authorities strongly advise against touching or approaching raccoon dogs, underscoring that they are wild animals.
Signs posted throughout the park warn visitors not to feed or approach raccoon dogs. These guidelines stress the importance of maintaining a safe distance, as the animalsmay become aggressive during the breeding and rearing season, which spans from March to September.
SOURCE: SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT
Raccoons also pose a potential rabies risk. In 2006, a rabies case involving a raccoon dog was reported in Seoul’s Eunpyeong-gu district. Since then, vaccines for animals have been distributed in forests and along streams. In October, the city distributed 37,000 pieces of vaccine-laced feed designed to boost immunity when consumed by wild animals.
In order to coexist with raccoon dogs, it is essential to understand that they are “wild animals,” said Woo.
“Wild animals must live independently. There is no need to empathize with them emotionally. It is not appropriate to think, ‘We need to feed them; they are pitiful,’”
Woo explained that bite incidents often occur when people fail to maintain proper distance.
“If you pet them, take photos or act affectionately because they seem cute, the raccoondog may perceive it as a threat, triggering its wild instincts.” He also warned that providing artificial food can increase their population, leading to further problems.
“To coexist with raccoon dogs, maintaining distance is essential. Human intervention must be limited and handled with caution,” he said.