Raccoon Spotted Trying To Enter LIC Subway Station, Video Shows
MTA officials said they removed the raccoon from the station last week, but on Wednesday it was seen trying to wiggle through a turnstile.
LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — An unusual creature tried to enter a Queens subway this week.
The critter in question, a raccoon, was first reported outside of the Queens Plaza Station on Friday, Nov. 12th.
The following morning the raccoon entered the station, but MTA officials said that they removed the creature an hour later.
"It sounds like the raccoon was escorted out of the station about an hour after you saw it," the MTA tweeted in response to a photo of the raccoon inside the subway station on Saturday morning. "Our stations team just checked the area around the station and didn't find it, so it shouldn't be back."
Several days later, however, the raccoon was spotted again. This time it was trying to wiggle through a full-height turnstile, eventually stopping to rest in between the entry barrier and the subway ceiling, a video shows.
"Did anyone help the poor kid?" commented one person on the video, which has racked up dozens of comments from viewers who are concerned about the animal's wellbeing.
The city's wildlife unit
The NYC Parks Wildlife Unit responds to animal issues, but usually just when they happen on agency properties.
This raccoon wasn't reported to the Wildlife Unit, but Sunny Corarro, who works at the Parks Department, told Patch in a written statement that she wasn't totally surprised to hear that a raccoon tried to enter the subway station.
"Although raccoons prefer to climb trees, they are uniquely adapted to move through NYC’s urban environment," she said, noting that they are agile climbers who don't appear to be afraid of heights or being underground. In fact, this is not the first time that a raccoon was spotted in the subway.
As for why the raccoon might have been trying to sneak through the turnstile in the first place, Corrao joked: "It's super easy to lose your MetroCard when you don't have pockets."
'Coexisting with raccoons'
Corrao also urged New Yorkers to learn more about "coexisting with raccoons" and other urban wildlife, pointing to the city's multi-agency animal awareness campaign dubbed WildlifeNYC.
The campaign, which seeks to teach human New Yorkers how to coexist with their animal neighbors, features images of deer, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and plovers on a backdrop of the city skyline and the label "New Yorker."
"City dwellers take many forms," read the campaign posters, which in 2016, were hung as billboards, banners, and bus stop posters around the five boroughs.
WildlifeNYC even goes as far as comparing raccoons with the "average New Yorker," noting that both creatures are "adaptable, resourceful, [and] always on the lookout for a free meal."
Cheeky messaging aside, the campaign serves as an educational resource, giving general information about the city's animals and tips on how to coexist with each species.
In the case of raccoons, the city recommends staying at a distance, not feeding the creatures, and hiring a professional for raccoon removal. New Yorkers can also report raccoon sightings to the city.
The MTA did not respond to Patch's request for comment on this piece at the time of publication.