A spirited trash panda is, and has been, on the loose in the New York City subway system. Well, admittedly a lot of raccoons live down there, but the one in question is a sizable specimen, spotted numerous times in the same station — Nevins Street, in Brooklyn — since first rearing its fuzzy little head in November. So far, this hungry gremlin has evaded the authorities tasked with its capture. A clever little garbage bandit, you will of course agree.
Most recently, the Nevins Street Raccoon bamboozled NYPD officers and transit officials who attempted to lure it into a “cage stocked with plantains, chicken, and a bagel.” According to the New York Post, Chepe — as the raccoon has been named by station workers, who apparently see it a lot — succeeded in snagging a few snacks from the trap before the door swung shut. The wily critter reportedly scampered back down onto the tracks, ignoring the NYPD’s attempts to distract it with a breadcrumb trail.
Then, on Saturday — after cops and transit workers spent an alleged seven hours trying to capture Chepe the day before, and temporarily rerouted 2 and 3 trains in the process — this ring-tailed scamp clawed its way up from the tracks again. It reportedly made many trips between its nest and the platform, gathering trash treats with its small Krampus hands. This, according to the Post, frustrated some of the officers who found themselves on raccoon duty.
“What do you want me to do, grab it with my bare hands?” one reportedly scoffed. “We were not trained for catching raccoons in the academy.”
One person who witnessed the raccoon last week told Gothamist that it looked “bedraggled,” despite its skill at stealing scraps. Hang in there, little buddy! I’m rooting for you. We’re all rooting for you.
