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Minnesota News
MPR News Staff
St. Paul

Happy 5th anniversary, MPR raccoon!

A raccoon sits on a ledge on the Town Square building.
A raccoon sits on a ledge on the Town Square building in downtown St. Paul, Minn. on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2018

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Where were you the day a mottled brown raccoon inspired the internet when she climbed the 25 stories of UBS Tower in downtown St. Paul?

Five years ago today, the #MPRraccoon became a viral sensation as people gathered to watch the critter climb the building over nearly 24 hours.

The drama began June 11, 2018 when the animal appeared in a niche in the wall of the Town Square building, on an outside wall of what was once the Donaldson's department store at Seventh and Cedar streets.

Data journalist David H. Montgomery dubbed the critter #mprraccoon on Twitter.

When the critter was spooked from its shelf during a rescue attempt and began its climb up the building, the social media buzz took off as well. She was even featured on the late-night comedy circuit in the monologue of The Late Show with Steven Colbert.

A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS tower in St. Paul.
A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS tower in St. Paul, Minn. on June 12, 2018.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2018

Throughout the day, the world watched on social media as she proceeded up to the 23rd floor. Then before 10:30 p.m., she ventured back down the building to the 17th floor and lingered on a window ledge before heading back up.

By 3 a.m. on June 13, 2018, the raccoon decided to head to the roof of the building, where a live trap with a can of wet cat food waited. Wildlife Management Services released her on a private residential property in the southwest suburbs.

Relive the highs and lows of the day with some of the coverage we featured of the little critter that could.

The #mprraccoon archive
The #mprraccoon takes the easy way down, in a UBS Plaza freight elevator.
The #mprraccoon takes the easy way down, in a UBS Plaza freight elevator, after scaling the St. Paul skyscraper, on June 13, 2018.
Tim Nelson | MPR News 2018
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