PETALING JAYA, June 13 — Perhaps it was Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy that made racoons endearing. Or if you’re a Disney fan, then Pocahontas’ cheeky pet raccoon Meeko would have done the trick.
When a racoon in the US city of St Paul, Minnesota started scaling up a UBS Tower building — it was perched on the ledge of the 23rd floor at one point — it instantly became an Internet sensation as a source of amusement and anxiety for workers and social media users alike.
My picture from the 13th floor around noon. Hope he makes it down OK! #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/gfVWysn9iO
Advertisement— Ben (@Johnson88Ben) June 12, 2018
According to the Star Tribune, animal control officials are trying to lure the woodland creature with food in hopes of bringing the racoon to safety.
It has since been dubbed the #MPRraccoon — a nod to local radio station Minnesota Public Radio News which broke the news — and was first spotted on a ledge Tuesday morning, just a few stories high before it attempted the gravity-defying ascent, TVNZ reported.
According to the Washington Post, the racoon went 10 stories up by mid-afternoon.
Due to the building’s sealed windows, rescue efforts have been futile – animal-control authorities are hoping it will reach the roof where it will be trapped.
Arguably the Internet’s most famous racoon, this is what happens when a racoon trades its usual dumpster hangout to be Spiderman.
The #mprraccoon is doing a little grooming now that he's a social media star. You know, on a 23rd floor window ledge. @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/pGcwh7OJ6L
— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) June 12, 2018
He’s going down, brave #MPRraccoon now around 16th floor down from 23rd pic.twitter.com/WuFiQN0xq2
— bengarvin (@bengarvin) June 13, 2018
Well between me and the woman in the office, hopefully one of us is catching the good side of #MPRraccoon tonight pic.twitter.com/PzhLpS7twu
— Andrew Krueger (@akpix) June 13, 2018
Can you see him? He's waaaaaay up there pic.twitter.com/ZnRZGr2qH4
— Tad Vezner (@SPnoir) June 12, 2018
There’s even updates from inside the building, for a change of perspective.
He is on the ledge on our floor. He seems to be doing well. We’ve been told that the building has live traps on the roof and are trying to get him to go up there. We all just have to keep our fingers crossed.. #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/HY1PkuFKz0
— Paige Donnelly law (@donnelly_law) June 12, 2018
He is on the ledge on our floor. He seems to be doing well. We’ve been told that the building has live traps on the roof and are trying to get him to go up there. We all just have to keep our fingers crossed.. #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/HY1PkuFKz0
— Paige Donnelly law (@donnelly_law) June 12, 2018
And because #MPRraccoon has not left the building, live updates are proving to be popular to track the progress (or lack thereof) of the four-legged furball.
YES! #MPRraccoon is on his way DOWN the building! https://t.co/AG0id1ynsL
— KARE 11 (@kare11) June 13, 2018