Racoon Dogs

Racoon Dogs
 

News: A report has suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could have originated in raccoon dogs which were sold illegally at the Wuhan wet market.
 

About Racoon Dogs:

→ Raccoon dogs are neither dogs nor raccoons. They belong to the canid family and are closely related to foxes. They are the only canids that hibernate during the winter.

→ They are omnivores and relish food sources such as rodents and berries.

→ Raccoon dogs are originally from East Asia and are commonly found in parts of China, Korea and Japan, where they are known as Tanuki.
 

How are they linked to coronavirus?

→ A report has said that raccoon dogs and related mammals sold for food at a live animal market in China in 2003 were found to carry a coronavirus similar to the virus found in humans during a SARS coronavirus outbreak at the time.

→ But this doesn’t mean they are the natural reservoir for coronaviruses. Scientists believe there is a possibility the tested raccoon dogs, including those in the Wuhan market, might have picked up the virus from bats or another species.