Members of the public are being warned not to approach an ‘unpredictable’ raccoon dog that has been on the loose for almost a month.

Natural Resources Wales say the raccoon dog was last spotted on 29 January to the south east of Llyn Tegid.

Raccoon dogs are considered to be an invasive non-native species which can negatively affect native wildlife.

They originate from south east Asia.

It is illegal to breed or sell them in the UK, and members of the public are being advised not to approach it as they are wild animals and as such, can be unpredictable.

Natural Resources Wales is appealing for information and says: “They will roam in the wild so could potentially be spotted more than eight miles from Llyn Tegid.

“They are small, nocturnal fox sized animals, originally from East Asia and they will eat fruit, insects, rodents, frogs, birds.

“As with any animal, their behaviour may be unpredictable and are not to be approached.

“NRW, alongside other bodies, is assisting Welsh Government to respond to this escape.”

The RSPCA strongly discourages people from buying or keeping raccoon dogs as pets, saying: “They’re much more difficult to look after than you may imagine, there are strict legal restrictions on keeping, selling, rehoming, and breeding raccoon dogs and they are extremely smelly, as they use scent to communicate with one another – not the best quality in a house pet!”

They also need a lot of space as they are wild animals with complex needs.

When captured, the RPSCA says it rehomes raccoon dogs to wildlife parks and zoos,

If you think you might have spotted one (dead or alive) please report this as soon as possible to the Natural Resources Wales incident telephone line 03000 65 3000 (this is a 24 hour line).