Stowaway raccoon leads warehouse workers on a chase in Colorado

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A raccoon stowed away from Kentucky to Colorado on a truck loaded with pallets and ended up leading animal protection officers on a wild chase around a distribution center.

The Boulder Police Department said in a Facebook post that employees at the distribution center saw the raccoon jump off the truck while the load of pallets from Louisville were being unloaded.

Workers called for assistance the next day when the raccoon was spotted stuck between some lumber and a wall.

Animal Protection Supervisor J. Whittle responded to the scene and the raccoon was freed from its predicament, but was "agitated" and led Whittle and the warehouse workers on a 45-minute chase around the distribution center.

"He slid through the catch pole once. I said, 'I got him! I don't got him,'" Whittle said in the Facebook post. "That's when the one employee showed up clutch with the kennel. I grabbed the trash can and the raccoon darted away from that right into the kennel."

Whittle said transportation was arranged to take the raccoon home to Louisville.

"He had plenty of hiding spots and trees and dumpsters," she said, "and I hope he found his family and friends back in Louisville."