The most heart-racing, stomach-flipping, suspenseful story of the summer isn’t “Avengers: Infinity War” or even “Hereditary” anymore. It’s the saga of a lone raccoon scaling a skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The ambitious #mprraccoon’s ascent to Tuesday evening Twitter fame accompanied a literal ascent up the side of UBS Tower in downtown St. Paul. Employees of Minnesota Public Radio, who work across the street, spotted the little creature scrabbling up the concrete building around lunchtime and began to tweet updates about its adventure.
The raccoon was first spotted around the 12th floor. By evening, it was ten stories higher and Twitter users were beginning to panic.
If something happens to the #mprraccoon, no one tell me because I do not have the emotional resilience for that today.
— Kara Lynum (@karalynum) June 12, 2018
The raccoon stopped on the 22nd-floor and curled up on a window ledge for a nap. This might have seemed like an opportune time for animal control to grab it, but the windows on that level don’t open, employees said.
Even if they did, attempting to reach the raccoon by scaling the building or lowering a firefighter over the roof could end in tragedy, MPR reporter Tim Nelson said in a Facebook video.
"The raccoon would probably object strenuously to being rescued," he said. "He may bite or attack anyone who approaches him up there."
Not only could that injure the rescue worker, it could frighten the raccoon enough that it might fall from its ledge.
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
Instead, animal control workers placed tasty-smelling bait and a humane trap on the roof of the building.
If the raccoon can make it to the top, it will have a snack and a ride back to a more raccoon-friendly altitude.
If it can’t, the entire internet might have a heart attack. It's unclear whether or not it would be able to climb down on its own.
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
