Trash pandas in their natural environment

How raccoons use and abuse human trash

Romain Dejeante, Rocío Joo, Matthew Boone & Mathieu Basille
mablab.org     MabLabUF

Raccoons and people

Human impact on wildlife

Human impact on wildlife

Human impact on wildlife

United States of Raccoons

United States of Raccoons

United States of Raccoons

Home ranges in North America

Trash
pandas!

Tree Tops Project

  • suburban landscape
  • 85 individual captured
  • 17 GPS collars

Tree Tops Project

Tree Tops Project

Hate-love relationship with trash

Hate-love relationship with trash

Hate-love relationship with trash

Hate-love relationship with trash

Impact on space use

Simulations with IBM

Smaller home ranges with dumpsters

Less overlap with dumpsters

Less overlap with dumpsters

Simulation with real dumpster

Consequences
on population
dynamics

Main cause of death: collisions + diseases

High density at dumpster

Disease spread in simulation

Dumpster increases local contamination

Dumpster increases infection risk

Are dumpster raccoons different?

Age effect in trapping success

Junk food and obesity?

Conclusions

  • Clear human impact at fine scale
  • Smaller home ranges
  • Higher disease prevalence
  • Impact on fitness?

Thank you!