The DSPCA has appealed to the public not to buy exotic pets after it added a raccoon to the scores of other animals in its care.
The male raccoon was captured in a garden in south Co Dublin last week.
It had escaped from its enclosure in a neighbouring property and was described by DSPCA officers as "hungry and threatening a small dog".
Exotic animals can be bought and sold freely in Ireland under the current 1911 animal welfare legislation.
However, the DSPCA claims that "these animals are often sold to people with little or no understanding of the care needed to look after them."
It says the internet is an easy source for many such creatures and warns "we cannot continue to have exotic animals bought and sold without any form of licence".
The DSPCA also points out that raccoons would have the potential to become invasive in Ireland if they escape or are released into the natural environment.
