Climbing raccoon scales Minnesota skyscraper, defies death and becomes internet famous

Ashley May | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Skyscraper-climbing raccoon steals America's hearts What do you get when you combine a raccoon, a sky-high building and a death-defying climb? One inspirational success story.

After a perilous journey that captured the attention of thousands, a brave raccoon has made it to the top of a Minnesota skyscraper.

The raccoon, who became stranded on the ledge of a building in St. Paul, climbed a 25-story tower and turned into an internet celebrity overnight. The saga started Monday, when the animal was spotted in a shallow recess of a wall on a Town Square building, Minnesota Public Radio's KNOW-FM reports.

A maintenance crew attempted to help the raccoon by offering it a makeshift ladder. That didn't work — it scared the animal to a nearby office tower, where it began its death-defying ascent. Tuesday afternoon, local coverage of the climb trended on Twitter with #mprraccoon, and the world began rooting for the little critter.

People became concerned it might not make it up the UBS Tower. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn even tweeted he would donate $1,000 to help rescue the raccoon.

But, an attempted rescue is what sparked this dangerous feat.

“The best thing is to leave him alone," Laurie Brickley, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections, told the Star Tribune Tuesday.

Animal control workers did set live traps on the tower's roof, believing that would be the safest option for capture, MPR reports. Then, rescuers could bring the critter back down to safety. Windows on the building do not open, workers said.

As of Tuesday evening, the raccoon had climbed to the 23rd floor. Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, live feeds showed the raccoon reached the roof.

A Twitter account following the frightened raccoon's journey declared "I made it!"

The raccoon was captured in a live trap, a law firm occupying the top floor of the building told MPR reporter Tim Nelson.

Rescuers plan to release the raccoon to safety, hopefully far away from any tall buildings.

After a delicious meal of soft cat food, #mprraccoon has been caught and will be picked up by Wildlife Management. Goodbye friend! pic.twitter.com/twcBPpjOQk — UBS Plaza (@ubs_plaza) June 13, 2018

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