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Raccoon scales St. Paul office tower, captivating public

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A raccoon stranded on the ledge of a building in St. Paul, Minnesota, captivated onlookers and generated interest on social media after it started scaling an office building.

Onlookers and reporters tracked the critter’s progress at it climbed the UBS Tower on Tuesday, interrupting work and causing anxiety for some. By Wednesday morning it had made it to the roof of the building, easing fears that it would plummet to its death.

St. Paul Animal Control put a trap and cat food on the roof, hoping to bring the raccoon down safely.

Nearby Minnesota Public Radio branded the raccoon with the hashtag #mprraccoon. The woodland creature also had its own Twitter account, with one tweet saying, “I made a big mistake.” Many feared for the raccoon’s safety.

The raccoon was first spotted on a ledge Tuesday morning.

A raccoon stretches out on a windowsill high above downtown St. Paul, Minn., Tuesday, June 12, 2018. The raccoon stranded on the ledge of a building in St. Paul captivated onlookers and generated interest on social media after it started scaling an office building. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon stretches itself on the window sill of the Paige Donnelly Law Firm on the 23rd floor of the UBS Tower in St. Paul, Minn., Tuesday, June 12, 2018. The raccoon stranded on the ledge of the building in St. Paul captivated onlookers and generated interest on social media after it started scaling the office building. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS Tower in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon sits on a ledge on the Town Square building in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon scales the side of the UBS Tower in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon scrambles along a ledge on the side of the Town Square building in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon sleeps on a ledge on the side of the Town Square building in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
Town Square building employees use a makeshift pole to rouse a raccoon from a ledge on the Town Square building in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon scales the side of the UBS Tower in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS Tower in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)