Stranded raccoon captivates the world on climbing mission to top of Minnesota skyscraper
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A raccoon stranded on the ledge of an office building in St. Paul, Minnesota, has captivated the world after scaling the skyscraper, safely making it to the top after more than 24 hours.
Onlookers, reporters and social media users fretted about the welfare of the critter as it climbed the UBS Tower on Tuesday, taking periodic rest breaks on window ledges during its gruelling climb.
Crowds on the street were left on tenterhooks as they monitored its progress and rejoiced when the raccoon finally scrambled its way to the top of the roof at 03:00 (07:00 BST).
Animal control officials were waiting on top of the building to try and capture the exhausted mammal, leaving out cat food inside a trap, but it is not yet clear if their attempts have been successful.
Minnesota Public Radio branded the raccoon #mprraccoon, a hashtag that spread around the world and became the top trending topic during its arduous journey.
Tim Nelson, a Minnesota Public Radio reporter, said the animal was “likely on an errant mission to raid pigeon nests on the skyway”.
However many gripped by the drama feared for the raccoon’s safety after it went more than 24 hours without food and water, with one Twitter user posting: “Pray for #mprraccoon.”
The woodland creature also had its own Twitter account, which has attracted more than 1,000 followers, with one tweet saying, “I made a big mistake.”