Raccoon survived six-story fall during rescue from building

A raccoon that fell six storys from the exterior of the Rose Street Market building in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Tuesday survived the fall.

"After a couple seconds, it was amazing, he got up and seems to be fine," Animal Services Enforcement Officer Deborah Themins said. Kalamazoo County Animal Control received a call about the raccoon at around noon from someone who had seen the animal on a balcony. When Themins arrived on scene, she said she attempted to remove the animal and it "shot up the building."

"It climbed like Spider-Man," Themins said. "Then it couldn't climb up any further because it had climbed up the brick and the top of the building is smooth." Themins said she called the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for assistance and shortly after an aerial ladder truck arrived. Then, Themins and a rescue worker were lifted toward the raccoon in the basket.

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She said she managed to get the raccoon into the noose, but then something went wrong. The raccoon got scared and violently resisted. "I was somewhat successful until he pushed himself out and fell to the ground," Themins said. Themins said the raccoon, who some people are calling "Lucky", appears to have suffered a punctured lung as a result of the fall and has been transported to Circle D Wildlife Refuge in Vicksburg.