Raccoon captured downtown; caused a bit of a stir

TROY, N.Y. » A raccoon stuck in a tree created a bit of a buzz Wednesday in downtown Troy.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Troy Animal Control Officer Kevin McDonough captured a raccoon in an alley off River Street after it had been stuck in the area for at least six hours.

McDonough said the animal would be taken “back to the country” and released.

The raccoon spent most of the morning sitting in trees and on ledges of buildings along River Street, near Annick Designs and across from The Record office. McDonough got there around 8 a.m. but left after about three hours to respond to a call elsewhere. When he returned, the raccoon made its way across River Street and into another tree. Once the coast was clear, the animal climbed down the tree and scampered into an alleyway, stopping behind large trash bins located there.

For several minutes, McDonough paced back and forth watching for signs of the raccoon, whose head popped up behind the bins as if he were playing “peekaboo” with the animal control officer.

By that time, several onlookers gathered to watch the action, helping McDonough by pointing out the raccoon’s specific spot.

McDonough eventually captured the raccoon, but the animal soon had other ideas, managing to slip out of the noose used to trap him. The raccoon cornered himself into a storefront entranceway but was nabbed again within minutes.

At one point early on, the animal attempted to come down from the tree a few times. Passersby and traffic appeared to spook the raccoon as he quickly climbed back to his perch.

At one moment, the animal made its way down to the sidewalk, only to elude McDonough, who quickly gave chase.