Raccoons Behaving Badly: Viral Incidents and Close Calls

Raccoon Encounters and Viral Moments

• 🏙️ In 2018, a raccoon scaled a Minnesota skyscraper, becoming a social media phenomenon before being safely captured and released.
• 📱 A student's attempt to film a raccoon resulted in the animal stealing his phone, which was later returned with minor damage.
• 🛥️ Two individuals on a boat were surprised by raccoons appearing mid-journey, leading to a tense situation until they returned to shore.

Raccoons and Law Enforcement

• 🚨 In Ohio, police found a meth pipe in a car during a traffic stop, which a pet raccoon named Chewy was interacting with, leading to the discovery of drugs and the driver's arrest.
• 🏠 Indianapolis officers responded to a robbery call, only to find the suspect was a raccoon that evaded capture by climbing walls and refrigerators.
• 👮 In 2023, Royal Canadian Mounted Police removed a raccoon from a family's bathroom after it attacked a dog and followed it inside.

Raccoon Aggression and Unusual Behavior

• 😱 A woman in 2024 had to call 911 after a horde of 50-100 raccoons aggressively swarmed her backyard, forcing her to hide in her car.
• 💡 A raccoon was found in a Brooklyn apartment's light fixture, and it turned out to be raising a family, causing the roommates to move out.
• 🥃 In Kentucky, a person rescued a raccoon from a dumpster and later performed CPR on another raccoon found submerged in moonshine, which had been drinking fermented peaches.

Raccoon Behavior and Safety

• 🧗 Raccoons are excellent climbers with strong tactile senses and long claws.
• ⚠️ Wildlife, including raccoons, can be dangerous if cornered, with a risk of biting.
• 🗑️ Raccoons often get into dumpsters by climbing in but struggle to get out if the garbage level is too low.
• 🛠️ Methods for safely removing raccoons include using catch poles, ladders, or wooden ramps.