Raccoon stowaway found on Southampton cargo ship euthanised

The animal was captured on April 8 after workers spotted it at the Port of Southampton.

It is believed to have travelled unnoticed among cargo on the Maersk Bognor, although it is not known exactly where it climbed aboard.

Raccoons are not native to the UK and are regarded as a potential biosecurity risk because they can carry illnesses such as rabies, which authorities are determined to keep out of British wildlife.

It said the UK Government’s Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) “humanely captured the raccoon, then removed it from the site” on 8 April.

A spokesperson for APHA said: “The animal was humanely put down by a vet, due to the risk that the raccoon might be carrying diseases, including rabies.”

The RSPCA said it had “no dealings with the raccoon”.