The #MPRRaccoon Story Has A Happy Ending

By Kristy Puchko | Social Media | June 13, 2018 |

By Kristy Puchko | Social Media | June 13, 2018 |

A reckless raccoon became a Twitter star yesterday, thanks to a never-say-die attitude and an apparent apathy to heights. In St. Paul, Minnesota, a scrawny raccoon scaled a small office building, getting stranded on its ledge on Monday. The poor creature remained there until Tuesday afternoon, resting or maybe planning his next move. Meanwhile, local humans took pictures.

The concrete jungle is a frightening place for a raccoon. pic.twitter.com/Up84scKsp4

— Evan Frost (@efrostee) June 12, 2018

Minnesota Public Radio News reports humans did attempt a rescue. Though the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul’s animal control were called, it was three maintenance workers who screwed together 20-feet of lumber to help the raccoon down. But to no avail. The #MPRRaccoon had a plan of his own.

The #mprraccoon has rescued itself. Sort of. Now it's climbing the skyscraper next door. pic.twitter.com/YD8jalkrrM

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) June 12, 2018

The raccoon leaped to the towering UBS high-rise, and began climbing. And as the hashtag took hold on Twitter, the world began watching, breathless and concerned as MPR reporter Tim Nelson live-tweeted.

I don't know if I can watch this much longer. The #mprraccoon is scaling the UBS Tower. Now 12 stories up. pic.twitter.com/MaP35MLo9j

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) June 12, 2018

My picture from the 13th floor around noon. Hope he makes it down OK! #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/gfVWysn9iO

— Ben (@Johnson88Ben) June 12, 2018

The #mprraccoon is now 20 stories above the roof of Town Square, more than 200 feet above street level. Seems to be taking a break there. @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/MiP3KGtrW7

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) June 12, 2018

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

@StPaulFireDept District Chief Alan Gabrielle is taking a look, but says it's likely too risky to put anyone over the side of the building for the #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/ZyS0IEd2sd

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) 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

All human intervention efforts demanded that the raccoon make it to the roof of the 26-story office building. So the internet was left helpless, watching, waiting, hoping for a happy ending…and cracking jokes.

I don’t even like raccoons but this lil mf had me worried #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/vLoKEB5F5N

— 🌸LifeOfAlyxx🌸 (@LifeOfAlyxx) June 13, 2018

Opens Twitter: why is my entire feed obsessed with a raccoon?

5 minutes later: come on buddy, you can do it!

10 minutes later: will no one save the poor raccoon?!#mprraccoon

— Euqinomist (@Euqinomist) June 13, 2018

I really hope the #mprraccoon doesn’t turn out to have some problematic tweets from 2011

— Sam (@samleo5) June 13, 2018

If the raccoon dies, we riot. #MPRraccoon

— Carl Hott (@cwhott) June 13, 2018

Twitter trying to find ways to save the #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/cDam9jCa7U

— Joseph Boeding (@JoeBoeding) June 13, 2018

I can't wait until the #mprraccoon makes it down safely and also turns down an invite to the White House.

— Andrew Athias (@AndrewAthias) June 13, 2018

Q: what did you do last night?

A: I spent hours looking at grainy livestream footage trying to see if a raccoon was moving#mprraccoon

— Hey Let's Talk (@heyletstlk) June 13, 2018

That time Trump had to promote a hashtag in order to tie a raccoon for #1.#mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/i5asfJ6YBF

— Swingblade Betty (@SwingbladeB) June 13, 2018

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn got understandably invested in the safety of this scrappy raccoon and offered a reward for his rescue.

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

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 12, 2018

Across America, concerned animal lovers reluctantly turned away from Twitter to go to bed, fearful of how the story might resolve as they slept.

If I wake up and the #mprraccoon doesn’t have a happy ending, I may never recover. https://t.co/AWtrjj4v83

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 13, 2018

Then, in the wee hours of the night, the MPR Raccoon made his move to safety and an eternal spot in our hearts.

The #mprraccoon just made it to the roof! Video courtesy @DPet_KARE11News pic.twitter.com/Wb5xPsANZh

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) June 13, 2018

And there was much rejoicing.

WHO ELSE WITNESSED THE GREATEST MOMENT OF 2018 LIVE? #mprraccoon

— Brandon-M (@woooFFootball) June 13, 2018

The little guy made it!!!
Hiding in the bathroom at work crying a few tears of joy. Thank you God and goodbye chicken nuggets. It was worth it. #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/2lYhozoIKo

— Claire (@TVAddict1013) June 13, 2018

#mprraccoon 2020. The hero we didn't know we needed, and the hero we didn't deserve.

— Rick Leader (@rleader86) June 13, 2018

I want the #MPRRaccoon welcomed down from the roof basically into the crowd at the end of Ghostbusters. Same music too. And Bill Murray should be there.

— Katie (@RonLaunson) June 13, 2018

#mprraccoon
WHY CLIMB UBS TOWER?
"BECAUSE IT'S THERE"
SAID RACCOON pic.twitter.com/3hDpkCKeEE

— EAS is here…… (@EAS9527) June 13, 2018

For perspective, the #mprraccoon scaled this building. pic.twitter.com/AXJd9ljdlo

— Ryan Epling (@bigeps) June 13, 2018

What you've all been waiting for… #MissionImpossible #MPRraccoon 🤣 @kare11 @ElleryTV @DPet_KARE11News @timnelson_mpr pic.twitter.com/SZKNem45yf

— Alicia Lewis (@alicialewisKARE) June 13, 2018

Twitter lesson for the day:

Get rest, then keep climbing.#mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/C333BjHcQR

— scott (@agilethumbs) June 13, 2018

That'll do raccoon. That'll do #mprraccoon pic.twitter.com/xBXsDO7FQS

— FINUALA WYER (@FinualaW) June 13, 2018