ASHLAND, Va. – What it looked like at first glance Late night robbery at a liquor store An American from Hanover County, Virginia, ended up revealing an unusual person in charge: A Raccoon After storming the building during the early hours of Saturday, He drank large amounts of alcohol and was found hours later completely drunk and passed out in the bathroom. Between the toilet and the trash can.
The accident occurred in a liquor store that was closed for the holiday. Thanksgiving Daylast week.
When employees arrived Saturday morning, they were found Broken bottlesA Collapsed ceiling panel And a A puddle of liquor on the floorEspecially in the area where Scottish and American whiskeys were stored. The only image taken by the surveillance camera shows a blurry figure moving between the shelves, which is not sufficient to determine the amount of drink consumed by the intruder.
The biggest surprise was when employees discovered that the “masked bandit” had collapsed in the bathroom. That’s when animal control officer Samantha Martin stepped in, describing the animal visitor as being as chaotic as it was comical.
“I personally love raccoons. They’re very funny little insects,” he said. “He fell off the roof and went on a complete rampage, taking everything.”He added.
Martin took the raccoon to Hanover County Animal Shelter and Protection to monitor its condition, though he admitted the incident sparked laughter in the process. After a few hours of rest and no signs of injury – beyond the possibility of a hangover – The animal was safely released into its natural habitat.
The agency said in a statement sarcastically: “We hope that you have learned that entering by force is not the solution.”
A liquor store spokesperson reported that the raccoon Destroying 14 bottles of alcohol worth approximately $250. No further damage was found and the store was reopened after cleaning.
The Ashland store thanked the local shelter for its actions on social media and joked about the “sober ride home” the unexpected thief received. At the same time, the episode adds to the long list of strange interactions between wildlife and urban environments.
The case also revived a local debate about… Coexistence between wildlife and businesses Which is empty during the holidays. County officials note that in semi-rural areas like Ashland, overhanging ceilings, storage rooms and bathrooms often become entry points for small animals finding shelter or food. Although most of these episodes go unnoticed, some end with unusual scenes like the one of this drunken raccoon, which quickly went viral on social media and led to calls for it to be stopped. Improve prevention measures.
The case has attracted attention due to its unusual nature, but it is not the first time the raccoon has appeared in out-of-place situations. According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, these animals do exist Common in forests, parks and urban environmentsTheir adaptation to life near humans is explained by them The ability to survive thanks to waste and leftover food.
In the United States and other countries, amazing incidents have been recorded: from a raccoon found with a methamphetamine pipe inside a car in Ohio, to a wild boar in Australia that stole 18 beers and ended up fighting a cow, or a bear cub in Turkey that was rescued after being poisoned with so-called “crazy honey,” a type of hallucinogenic compound produced in the Black Sea region.
AP Agency