Historically, hunting began in Russia in 1928. Breeding animals were exported to Germany in the 1930s, but the population was wiped out by disease in 1973. Rabies and rapid urbanization appear to be causing local extinction in parts of Japan.
The tanuki or raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is the most primitive member of the canine family. It inhabits the area of the Amur and Ussuri rivers in East Asia and Japan. The actual distribution and extent of range on the Asian mainland today is not well known. The raccoon dog is quite common in the eastern part of Russia. The raccoon dog was introduced into Europe (1927-1957) because of its valuable fur. It was released in the Caucasus and the Ukraine, in the 1940s and has since spread to north, central and southern Europe. This process is still continuing.
Other language names: French: Chien viverrin; German: Marderhund; Japanese: Tanuld.
It was believed to occur widely in China; today it is not well known and may be in danger of local extinction. About 70,000 individuals are hunted annually in Japan. The majority of pelts are produced in Finland (mainly from farmed animals) and the Soviet Union (mainly from wild animals). There has been some production in Denmark and central European countries.