Nine raccoons on the loose from Netherlands zoo

March 27 (UPI) -- A Netherlands zoo is on the hunt for trash pandas after 11 raccoons escaped from their new enclosure at the facility.

Officials at AquaZoo in Leeuwarden said 12 raccoons arrived on Monday and a caretaker showed up Tuesday morning to find only one raccoon was present.

Two more raccoons were recovered later in the day, but nine of the animals are still on the loose, zoo director Jeroen Loomeijer said.

Loomeijer said zoo officials determined two pieces of mesh surrounding the enclosure did not fit together properly, allowing the animals to dig their way out.

He said one raccoon was spotted nearby the zoo Tuesday night, but was not captured. Traps have been set in a nearby nature preserve in case the nocturnal animals managed to climb over the fence.

Loomeijer said the raccoons have all been spayed or neutered, so they will not breed in the wild. He said the raccoons are timid and not believed to be a danger to humans.