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Daredevil raccoon's Minnesota skyscraper climb | Daredevil raccoon's Minnesota skyscraper climb |
(1 day later) | |
A daredevil raccoon has been safely rescued after leaving the internet on tenterhooks by scaling a 23-floor building in St Paul, Minnesota. | A daredevil raccoon has been safely rescued after leaving the internet on tenterhooks by scaling a 23-floor building in St Paul, Minnesota. |
The critter, dubbed #MPRraccoon after the radio station opposite the high-rise, trended worldwide on Twitter. | The critter, dubbed #MPRraccoon after the radio station opposite the high-rise, trended worldwide on Twitter. |
Crowds gathered at the building after it went viral, and local media streamed its perilous climb for almost a day. | Crowds gathered at the building after it went viral, and local media streamed its perilous climb for almost a day. |
Twitter celebrated as it reached the roof at 03:00am (08:00 BST) where cat food was waiting inside a trap. | |
The raccoon has been collected by animal welfare and will be released later. | The raccoon has been collected by animal welfare and will be released later. |
Evan Frost and Tim Nelson, journalists with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), documented the raccoon's nerve-wracking journey on Twitter. | Evan Frost and Tim Nelson, journalists with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), documented the raccoon's nerve-wracking journey on Twitter. |
"One of my colleagues spotted the raccoon on, kind of the ground floor, sitting on a ledge on Monday - it looked like a brown lump, almost like a cat sitting there," Evan Frost told the BBC in the early hours of Wednesday. | "One of my colleagues spotted the raccoon on, kind of the ground floor, sitting on a ledge on Monday - it looked like a brown lump, almost like a cat sitting there," Evan Frost told the BBC in the early hours of Wednesday. |
"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." | "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." |
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, occasionally napping on ledges. | It spent much of Tuesday going up and down the building's floors, occasionally napping on ledges. |
Before its final ascent to the roof, it had been slowly making its way down, as an anxious audience watched on into the night. | Before its final ascent to the roof, it had been slowly making its way down, as an anxious audience watched on into the night. |
"It was heartbreaking to see yesterday," Tim Nelson told the BBC on Wednesday. "We couldn't imagine how this would end well for him". | "It was heartbreaking to see yesterday," Tim Nelson told the BBC on Wednesday. "We couldn't imagine how this would end well for him". |
It has not been confirmed locally if the raccoon is a male or female. | It has not been confirmed locally if the raccoon is a male or female. |
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". |
"I was talking to a wildlife expert yesterday who said there might be a dozen or two dozen of these raccoons in every square mile here in Minnesota - they're everywhere. But you don't see them scaling office towers," Mr Nelson said. | "I was talking to a wildlife expert yesterday who said there might be a dozen or two dozen of these raccoons in every square mile here in Minnesota - they're everywhere. But you don't see them scaling office towers," Mr Nelson said. |
Both men were overwhelmed by the global reaction to their posts about the raccoon's ascent. | Both men were overwhelmed by the global reaction to their posts about the raccoon's ascent. |
"I think it just seems like something a lot of different people can get behind," Mr Frost told the BBC. | "I think it just seems like something a lot of different people can get behind," Mr Frost 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." |
You may also like: | You may also like: |
Mr Nelson grew up in a town called Coon Rapids, named after the mammals. | Mr Nelson grew up in a town called Coon Rapids, named after the mammals. |
"To think that one of these little animals would top the trending on Twitter is a complete surprise to me," he said. | "To think that one of these little animals would top the trending on Twitter is a complete surprise to me," he said. |
Both men laughed when asked if they had managed to get any work done during raccoon-watch. | Both men laughed when asked if they had managed to get any work done during raccoon-watch. |
Although the animal was filmed reaching the top shortly before 03:00 local time - it was not officially confirmed safe until five hours later when it was officially found safe inside the trap. | Although the animal was filmed reaching the top shortly before 03:00 local time - it was not officially confirmed safe until five hours later when it was officially found safe inside the trap. |
The animal has become an unlikely hero for many on Twitter - with users dubbing his unlikely success an inspiration. | The animal has become an unlikely hero for many on Twitter - with users dubbing his unlikely success an inspiration. |
James Gunn, who directed Hollywood film Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured a hero raccoon, at one point on Tuesday offered to donate $1,000 (£750) to charity in the name of anyone who was able to save the #MPRraccoon. | James Gunn, who directed Hollywood film Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured a hero raccoon, at one point on Tuesday offered to donate $1,000 (£750) to charity in the name of anyone who was able to save the #MPRraccoon. |
A Twitter account in the animal's name already has over 2,500 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 2,500 followers - and users online have made fan-art and even toys of the animal. |