BROOKLYN — A "sick" raccoon was euthanized after it caused a stir in Clinton Hill when it was spotted resting on top of an air conditioner before strolling along Fulton Street Tuesday, officials said.
The raccoon was jostled awake by a man with a two-by-four who was trying to keep it away from pedestrians near the patisserie Beny’s Delice at 903 Fulton St., witnesses said.
Police Officer Calambas, Police Officer Torres and Emergency Services successfully removed this sick raccoon on Fulton Street today pic.twitter.com/v89IwYaE1H
— NYPD 88th Precinct (@NYPD88Pct) July 18, 2017
“It tried to come into the store,” said Taina Arroyo, who works at the Country House Diner down the block, noting her manager tried to coax the animal into a bucket.
Witnesses said the raccoon seemed upset and frightened.
"It looked very upset. It seemed really dehydrated," said Lucas Booth, who was opening Beny’s Delice around 7:30 a.m.
“[The raccoon] was walking around on the sidewalk and didn’t want to leave,” said Country House Diner manager Abdul Attah.
Despite the commotion, Arroyo and Attah weren’t overly concerned with the nocturnal creature’s presence and wanted it to remain unharmed.
“If you bother it, it’ll bother you,” Arroyo said.
The raccoon was later apprehended by police and taken to an Animal Care Center in Brooklyn where it was euthanized "as required by law for all vector species animals brought into the shelter," an ACC spokeswoman wrote in an email.
There are certain mammals, like raccoons and foxes, called "rabies vector species," which have a higher risk for carrying the disease, the spokeswoman added.
The animal will be tested for rabies, officials said, but it was not immediately clear what illness the raccoon may have had.
Veteran New York magazine editor Chris Smith watched the animal taken into custody by the NYPD.
just saw nypd expertly lasso a raccoon. on fulton street. in brooklyn.
— chris smith (@chrissmithnymag) July 18, 2017
The NYPD did not have any immediate information about the animal.
