Runaway raccoon sisters reunited

The final escapee was rescued at 02:30 GMT on Wednesday

A fourth and final raccoon that escaped from an island zoo has now been rescued and reunited with her sisters.

Amazon World Zoo Park, near Sandown on the Isle of Wight, appealed for help from islanders on Friday after four, 18-month-old female raccoons escaped from their enclosure.

Three of the animals were found by Monday and the final escapee was rescued at 02:30 GMT.

Rachel Patrick, head keeper at the zoo, said she was "elated and so pleased that we have them all back now”.

The zoo had asked for help to find the four escaped sisters

None of the escapees actually left the zoo premises and are all uninjured.

Tracker dogs and thermal cameras were all used to try and detect the animals.

Ms Patrick said the final sister was spotted "in a little crevice" at 19:30 on Tuesday night.

The search team had a trap set up in the area, with meat inside, but the young raccoon teased them for seven hours.

"Every time she got closer, and then she suddenly decided she wasn't going in," she said.

There are five raccoon sisters at the site, each named after parts of the US, where the animals live in the wild.

Winnipeg, Dakota, Myrtle and Alma left Marion behind on Thursday night after they "bust a hole in the roof" of their enclosure, Ms Patrick said.

They are now being held in a temporary enclosure while repairs to the roof of their enclosure take place.

"They are very happy to all be back together and have been sleeping on top of each other overnight," Ms Patrick said.

She added: "Thank you to everybody who offered help and the kind words and messages, they kept us going."

Three of the animals were found by Monday

Tony Stevens runs a voluntary organisation that uses trained dogs to track lost dogs.

He said the group offered its services to the zoo when it appealed for help.

"We've been doing whatever we can," Mr Stevens said, adding it had been "a massive team effort from the community".

The tracking dogs used a scent from the raccoon's straw bedding to try and pinpoint the location of the missing animals.

"It was a new experience for the dogs," Mr Stevens said.

Meanwhile, Ben Ford, a commercial drone specialist, offered his help and had been searching for the escapees since Sunday.

He said it was hard to distinguish the raccoons from other animals, particularly when they went into dense foliage.

His team used a thermal cameras to help locate the sisters.

Raccoon facts

• Raccoons live throughout the US, except for parts of the Rocky Mountains and the deserts. They are also found in Canada and Central America

• They are excellent climbers and can climb almost any surface thanks to their sharp claws and nimble paws

• The animals are known for their bandit-like dark face masks. One theory is that the distinctive dark markings help them see clearly. They deflect the sun’s glare and also may enhance night vision

• Raccoons are very intelligent animals and have been known to solve complex puzzles and escape from captivity

• They are omnivores, meaning they will eat both meat and vegetables. They like grasshoppers, nuts, berries, mice, squirrels and birds' eggs

• Raccoons can live for 16 years in the wild but often only live for an average of five years

Source: National Wildlife Federation