_x000D_Photo: href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%84%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0_(Nyctereutes_procyonoides).jpg”>Ryzhkov Sergey, href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0″>CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What are raccoon dogs?

On March 17, 2023, scientists unveiled new data on the possible origins of the Covid-19 pandemic — and put this confusing creature in the spotlight. Raccoon dogs are members of the canine family, which includes domestic dogs but are most closely related to foxes. They are native to East Asia, including parts of China, Korea, and Japan. Raccoon dogs have long been farmed for their fur and sold for their meat in live animal markets. The animals were occasionally sold at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where many virologists suspect the Covid-19 pandemic may have started.