GRODNO, 19 March (BelTA) - The raccoon that stowed away from the USA and now lives in an animal park in the city of Baranovichi, has received a Belarusian passport, BelTA learned from the park.
The raccoon arrived in Belarus from the USA in a sea car container and was found by customs officers in Grodno. The “foreigner” was quarantined at the Oshmyany district veterinary station and then moved to the animal park in Baranovichi, which is among the three most visited tourist attractions in Brest Oblast.
The park staff discovered that the “foreigner”, believed to be a male and named Senya, was in fact a female. A new name was chosen, and she became Esenia, after which the raccoon was issued a passport.
“Esenia lives in a separate enclosure as she is still in quarantine, but closer to the end of March we are planning a mating session. A potential partner for the ‘American girl’ could be a raccoon named Maksim,” the park’s marketing specialist Tatiana Gunko said.
According to the park, Esenia is still adapting to the new environment. She has found a favorite shelf in her enclosure and prefers to stay inside most of the time. Especially when staff bring food, she hides and peeks out. Still, she has begun to venture out more often, including when staff are present.
“Esenia enjoys crab sticks,” Tatiana Gunko added. “At first she ate very little, but now her appetite is improving. She eats chicken, fish, fruit, and other healthy food.”
The park is preparing to celebrate the traditional vernal equinox festival Breath of Spring on 21 March and is planning to “present” Esenia with new passport on that day. But for the time being the details are being kept under wraps.
Follow us on:
