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| Minnesota raccoon's daring skyscraper scramble transfixes internet | Minnesota raccoon's daring skyscraper scramble transfixes internet |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A daredevil raccoon in St Paul, Minnesota, has had the internet on tenterhooks after scaling 23 floors of a building for nearly a day. | A daredevil raccoon in St Paul, Minnesota, has had the internet on tenterhooks after scaling 23 floors of a building for nearly a day. |
| The critter, dubbed #MPRraccoon after the radio station opposite the high-rise, is trending worldwide on Twitter. | The critter, dubbed #MPRraccoon after the radio station opposite the high-rise, is trending worldwide on Twitter. |
| Crowds have been gathered at the building since he went viral, and local media are streaming his perilous climb. | Crowds have been gathered at the building since he went viral, and local media are streaming his perilous climb. |
| Local fire officials and animal services attempted to lure the animal to safety all day. | Local fire officials and animal services attempted to lure the animal to safety all day. |
| Evan Frost, a photojournalist with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), was still at the scene at about 02:00 (06:00 BST) local time on Wednesday morning. | Evan Frost, a photojournalist with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), was still at the scene at about 02:00 (06:00 BST) local time on Wednesday morning. |
| At that time the animal had not moved for several hours, but reports on social media suggest the raccoon successfully ascended to the building's roof just before 03:00am (07:00 BST). | At that time the animal had not moved for several hours, but reports on social media suggest the raccoon successfully ascended to the building's roof just before 03:00am (07:00 BST). |
| "One of my colleagues spotted the raccoon on kind of ground floor sitting on a ledge on Monday - it looked like a brown lump, almost like a cat sitting there," he told the BBC. | "One of my colleagues spotted the raccoon on kind of ground floor sitting on a ledge on Monday - it looked like a brown lump, almost like a cat sitting there," he told the BBC. |
| "We went out there at about 8:30 on Tuesday morning and saw it was a raccoon. | "We went out there at about 8:30 on Tuesday morning and saw it was a raccoon. |
| "Two workers in the building got out a couple of long planks - sort of making a kind of ladder for it." | "Two workers in the building got out a couple of long planks - sort of making a kind of ladder for it." |
| But that initial rescue failed - and ended up scaring the animal upwards. | But that initial rescue failed - and ended up scaring the animal upwards. |
| It spent much of Tuesday going up and down the building's floors. | It spent much of Tuesday going up and down the building's floors. |
| "It kept going up incrementally - it would go up four or five floors then would sit on the windowsill and then we'd wait a few hours," Mr Frost said. | "It kept going up incrementally - it would go up four or five floors then would sit on the windowsill and then we'd wait a few hours," Mr Frost said. |
| Raccoons are common in the US, but are usually found in alleys or riffling through rubbish bins - leading to the common animal nickname "trash panda". | Raccoons are common in the US, but are usually found in alleys or riffling through rubbish bins - leading to the common animal nickname "trash panda". |
| Mr Frost and his colleague Tim Nelson have been overwhelmed by the reaction to their posts about the raccoon's ascent. | Mr Frost and his colleague Tim Nelson have been overwhelmed by the reaction to their posts about the raccoon's ascent. |
| "I think it just seems like something a lot of different people can get behind. Everyone wants to see this creature get to safety somehow. It's a very perilous situation," he told the BBC. | "I think it just seems like something a lot of different people can get behind. Everyone wants to see this creature get to safety somehow. It's a very perilous situation," he told the BBC. |
| "It's kind of absurd that I took a couple of pictures of an animal that people usually hate and think is disgusting, and all of a sudden it has thousands of retweets and likes." | "It's kind of absurd that I took a couple of pictures of an animal that people usually hate and think is disgusting, and all of a sudden it has thousands of retweets and likes." |
| The photojournalist laughed when asked if he had managed to get any work done away from raccoon-watch. | The photojournalist laughed when asked if he had managed to get any work done away from raccoon-watch. |
| "It just took over our days after it took off on social media," he said. | "It just took over our days after it took off on social media," he said. |
| James Gunn, who directed Hollywood film Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured a hero raccoon, offered to donate $1,000 (£750) to charity in the name of anyone who saved it. | James Gunn, who directed Hollywood film Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured a hero raccoon, offered to donate $1,000 (£750) to charity in the name of anyone who saved it. |
| A Twitter account in the animal's name already has over 2,000 followers - and users online have made fan-art and even toys of the animal. | A Twitter account in the animal's name already has over 2,000 followers - and users online have made fan-art and even toys of the animal. |