A raccoon has been captured after it killed chickens at a Lanarkshire farm.

The non-native animal was rescued by the Scottish SPCA in Libberton after a local farmer noticed strange tracks on his property and several of his livestock had been killed.

He first spotted the creature on CCTV footage in the area several months ago but called pest control on Friday.

A specialist set a fox trap and contained the raccoon before calling the animal welfare charity to collect it.

Staff at the rehoming centre are now appealing for information on how the raccoon was let into the wild.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: "We are appealing for information after one of our animal rescue officers was called out to a raccoon in the Libberton area.

"It is illegal to release a non-indigenous species into the wild, so we believe it may have been a pet that has escaped.

"If we are unable to identify the raccoon's owner we will find a specialist who will be able to provide the expert care that raccoons require."

Senior animal rescue officer Stephanie Kirk said: "It is believed that the raccoon has been in the Libberton area for a while now, having first been spotted a few months ago on security camera footage.

"A week ago, a local farmer called a pest control specialist after strange tracks were found on the property and several chickens were killed.

"The pest control specialist set a fox trap and contained the raccoon before calling us to collect it.

"The raccoon is in good condition but we're not sure where it came from.

"We're hoping the public will be able to help us find out how this non-native animal came to be in Scotland."