Reports Of A Tiger Roaming Upper Manhattan Turn Out To Be A Raccoon
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.18.18
Folks in New York City don’t have a lot of experience around wild animals. That has never been more clear, after someone made this epic mistake in identity last week.
911 calls came in early in the morning, with reports of a tiger running through the streets. The sighting was originally reported in Upper Manhattan, near West 162 and St. Nicholas Ave.
We’re trying to confirm this report of a tiger loose in Upper Manhattan: https://t.co/CC91y9O4iP #CitizenAppNYC pic.twitter.com/1XR6ruODXq
— Citizen (@citizenapp) April 12, 2018
Now, a call like this would be easy to assume it was just a hoax, but local police apparently did not take the reports lightly. Some citizens in the surrounding area even said on Twitter that a helicopter was deployed to the scene.
There was a problem though. . .
When officials arrived to the scene ready to go toe-to-toe with a tiger, they were faced with a far less menacing critter.
You’re gonna tell me my roommates and I (in Williamsburg, Brooklyn) were all rudely awakened bY a helicopter overhead because some idiot in Washington Heights (Manhattan)
MISTOOK A RACOON FOR A MF TIGER?!?!
— Shwax (@Shwax) April 12, 2018
Me: you got anything on a tiger in Washington Heights?
NYPD spokesman: not a tiger. it’s a raccoon.
Me: for real?
NYPD spokesman: dead serious. welcome to Thursday morning.— Alex Silverman (@AlexSilverman) April 12, 2018
According to ABC News, the raccoon was captured and taken in by Animal Care Centers of New York City, where the animal was euthanized due to concerns of it being infected with rabies.
