If you just woke up, it's time to catch up on the most important news story of the week. The raccoon who scaled a 25-floor building is OK!
After a delicious meal of soft cat food, #mprraccoon has been caught and will be picked up by Wildlife Management. Goodbye friend! https://t.co/twcBPpjOQk
That's right, the raccoon that was scaling a skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota, MADE IT TO THE TOP.
Here it is, #MPRRaccoon’s valiant climb to the top of the UBS Center in Downtown St. Paul, this morning. @KARE11 @MPRnews https://t.co/ot1DPNeRF5
Here are workers from Wildlife Management Services taking the little trash panda off to a safe undisclosed location nowhere near a high-rise at around 11a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Here she goes, the #mprraccoon with an extra can of cat food for the ride.
In the early, early hours of Wednesday morning, the raccoon arrived on the roof and the entire internet breathed a collective sigh of relief.
OH MY GOD WE MADE IT!!! 💖 MR. RACCOON IS FINALLY FREE! 🎉 My heart literally stopped when he started climbing 😰 Now I can die in peace, my life is complete! 😊 #mprraccoon - The world will NEVER forget you https://t.co/1YjdftyN5h
Right. So let's just take a look at how we got here.
Let's take it back to Tuesday afternoon, when it was near the top with windows that didn't open.
My picture from the 13th floor around noon. Hope he makes it down OK! #mprraccoon
The fire department paid it a visit.
Can confirm #MPRraccoon is still itchy. Got a little visit from @StPaulFireDept too! Cat food awaits it on the roof.
Minnesota Public Radio reported that fire department officials judged that trying to rescue the raccoon from the ledge would be too great a risk to firefighters to justify. The Fire Department did not respond to request for further comment.
A Minnesota Public Radio reporter said the raccoon had been on this journey for two days without food or water, but St. Paul Animal Control did not confirm that.
This poor raccoon apparently got itself stranded on a ledge of the Town Square office building in downtown St. Paul, likely on an errant mission to raid pigeon nests on the skyway over 7th Street. It's been there for two days now, without food or water. @mprnews https://t.co/fVI5pmdCWq
It stole the hearts of people as it made its epic journey. They took to social media — and showed up in person — to root for it to make it to the top.
And people IRL and online were very emotionally invested in the furball's climb.
Mary Lucia is deeply concerned about the #mprraccoon
Some people couldn't look, but they also couldn't look away.
A very, very small crowd is watching the #mprraccoon drama unfold on 7th Street in downtown St. Paul.
One person made fan art.
Hang in there, #mprraccoon . I’m rooting for you! <3
The writer and director of the Guardians Of The Galaxy movie said he'd donate $1,000 to charity for the rescue of the raccoon.
I'll donate a thousand bucks to the non political charity of choice to anyone who saves this raccoon. I can't handle this. Poor dude. https://t.co/2F5reAKkKa
It messed up some people's workdays (same tbh).
"I'm sorry I can't right now, I'm preoccupied with #mprraccoon." - Everyone in Minnesota today.
when you hear that one of your friends is stranded on a ledge on the 20th floor of a building #mprraccoon
"Mood: I am stressed about a lot of unknowns, and I am crying about a raccoon trapped on the ledge of a building in Minneapolis. WILL IT BE OK?!"
Mood: I am stressed about a lot of unknowns, and I am crying about a raccoon trapped on the ledge of a building in Minneapolis. WILL IT BE OKAY?! #mprraccoon
Waiting for the raccoon at the top was a can of cat food inside a trap.
Laurie Brickley, a spokesperson for the St. Paul Animal Control Department, said that officials decided that sending people to rescue the raccoon could have unintended consequences — the animal might get frightened if it were cornered so high up — that could lead to a fall.
The raccoon eventually made it up and into the trap.
And after a power nap, staff from Wildlife Management Services picked up the cage, ready to take the raccoon off to its next adventure.
Here is the #mprraccoon being picked up by technicians from Wildlife Management Services just now. Taken away by truck to an "undisclosed location." https://t.co/x0iMZhW7zd
Including a ride in the UBS Plaza elevator, a much easier and quicker journey than its climb to the top.
Here's the #mprraccoon taking the easy way down, in a UBS Plaza freight elevator.
By Wednesday afternoon, she was free in a forest.
"She has lots of trees to climb and hopefully a really happy life ahead of her," Brickley said.
St. Paul Animal Control did not reveal where it released the raccoon, but Brickley said it was a rural area roughly a half hour outside the city.
~Swoon~
Correct.
The #mprraccoon is all of us.