A raccoon's captivating climb up the side of a 25-story Minnesota high-rise came to a happy ending Wednesday after the fuzzy daredevil was released back into nature after reaching the top of the building.
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT June 13: Officials with Wildlife Management Services, a pest control business based in Brooklyn Park, said they released the raccoon Wednesday afternoon on private property in the suburbs of the Twin Cities.
The company shared a short video of the raccoon’s release. It darted away from rescuers after only a small amount of prodding.
Update 9:45 a.m. EDT June 13: Officials said they plan to release the raccoon "somewhere safe" after it was lured into a trap baited with cat food on Wednesday morning at the top of St. Paul's UBS Tower, the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Tad Vezner reported.
Reports surfaced earlier Wednesday that the climbing raccoon had been caught after spending hours scaling UBS Tower.
Update 8:45 a.m. EDT June 13: The raccoon was trapped by 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Nelson. Earlier Wednesday, Nelson reported that animal control officers had placed cat food in a trap at the top of the 25-story UBS Tower in an attempt to catch the critter.
A representative of the Paige Donnelly Law Firm, situated on the top floor of the high-rise, wrote Wednesday morning on Twitter that building management said the raccoon was “safely in a cage.”
Original report: According to Minnesota Public Radio, the raccoon's harrowing journey began after it got stuck on a ledge of St. Paul's Town Square building. After maintenance workers tried to rescue the frightened critter, it ran to the roof, fled to the neighboring UBS Tower and started climbing.
The raccoon slowly made its way up the building Tuesday, taking occasional nap breaks on ledges. It eventually reached the 23rd floor, reported MPR's Tim Nelson, who documented the animal's trek with the now-trending hashtag #mprraccoon.
Late Tuesday, the raccoon began to descend the building, taking a breather at a 17th-floor ledge. But it shifted course again early Wednesday, climbing until it reached the roof about 3:30 a.m. EDT.
Although many concerned onlookers had called for help, city officials said saving the animal could be risky for rescuers and the raccoon, which could get scared and fall, according to the Pioneer Press. Instead, animal control workers placed a food trap on the roof, a city Department of Safety & Inspections spokeswoman told the newspaper.
Another challenge: Employees who work at UBS Tower said the building's windows do not open, the Pioneer Press reported.
