You’ll want to stick around when a newsroom’s mystery intruder turns out to be a small, determined raccoon that slipped inside to escape the brutal winter cold. Local 12 staffers discovered the critter rifling through trash cans during a late-night shift, and the footage quickly became a viral, oddly charming moment for the station. The raccoon wasn’t a prank or a mascot — it was a real animal seeking shelter from freezing temperatures, and the team had to call authorities to handle the situation.
This piece unpacks how the raccoon likely found its way into the building, what staff did next, and what this incident reveals about raccoon behavior in cities during harsh weather. Expect a mix of eyewitness details from the Cincinnati station and practical insight into why urban wildlife often seeks refuge in human spaces.
The Cincinnati News Station Raccoon Saga
A raccoon quietly took up residence inside a Cincinnati television newsroom, prompting staff to track its movements, capture video, and share the moment online. The animal’s route, hiding spot, and the footage that followed drew local attention and a mix of amusement and concern.
Discovery of the Raccoon’s Hideout
Staff first noticed signs of an intruder after food went missing from a break area and a toppled trash can appeared near the engineering room. An engineer set up a phone to record overnight and later found footage of the raccoon rifling through garbage and slipping into a crawlspace behind set walls.
Facility managers inspected the crawlspace and found nesting material and small food remnants that confirmed the raccoon had been living there for days. They contacted local animal control to handle removal, citing safety concerns for both employees and the animal.
How the Raccoon Evaded Detection
The raccoon used narrow access points in building exterior vents and a seldom-used maintenance door to enter after hours. It favored areas with cluttered storage and loose insulation, which provided concealment and warmth during the recent cold snap.
Staff routines—day shifts, locked doors at night, and noisy equipment—masked the animal’s movements. The raccoon avoided open areas and learned timing patterns: it emerged when the newsroom was quiet, which allowed it to raid trash bins and hide before anyone arrived.
Video Footage and Viral Reactions
An engineer posted a short clip showing the raccoon digging through a newsroom trash can; the video spread quickly on social platforms and local news sites. Viewers labeled the animal a “trash panda,” and comments mixed humor with concern about wildlife in urban buildings.
Local outlets embedded the clip and reported on the animal-control response, linking the footage to discussions about winter wildlife behavior and shelter-seeking. The station cooperated with responders and shared updates, keeping the focus on safe capture and humane relocation rather than sensationalism.
Raccoons and Urban Survival
Urban raccoons show flexible behavior, find food in human spaces, and sometimes use buildings for warmth and shelter.
Why Raccoons Seek Shelter Indoors
Raccoons enter buildings to access stable warmth and avoid predators. They look for entry points like attic vents, rooflines, and gaps around service doors. Once inside, they exploit crawl spaces, basements, and boiler rooms where temperatures stay above freezing.
Food availability also drives indoor entry. Raccoons learn that kitchens, staff break rooms, and discarded food in trash rooms provide easy calories. A habituated individual—like a neighborhood raccoon nicknamed Chewy—will repeatedly return to known indoor food sources.
Human structures also offer den sites for raising kits. Raccoons prefer enclosed, elevated spaces that reduce exposure to the elements and disturbance. They time indoor use to weather and breeding cycles, often taking up temporary residence during the coldest months.
The Role of Harsh Winter Weather
Severe winter temperatures push raccoons to seek thermal refuges. When nights drop below freezing for consecutive days, animals that cannot maintain fat reserves look for microclimates inside buildings. Urban heat islands and heated interiors make news stations and similar facilities especially attractive.
Cold stress reduces a raccoon’s mobility and foraging efficiency. Snow and ice cover limit access to ground-level food like grubs and small mammals, so raccoons increasingly target human refuse and indoor caches. In states with long winters, such as Ohio, raccoons may remain indoors for weeks if entry is easy and disturbance is minimal.
Energy conservation guides their choices. Raccoons will shelter near consistent heat sources—pipes, HVAC ducts, and light fixtures—because the energy saved by staying warm outweighs the risks of being near people.
Other Notable Urban Raccoon Incidents
Cities report recurring incidents where raccoons inhabit unusual indoor locations. Examples include animals nesting in restaurant ceilings, grocery-store refrigeration units, and subway tunnels. Such cases highlight raccoons’ problem-solving skills—opening lids, undoing fasteners, and slipping through narrow openings.
Researchers have documented raccoons solving multi-step puzzles to reach food, which explains how they exploit complex urban obstacles. Media outlets have covered specific local stories—like a raccoon found inside a Cincinnati news station—illustrating how animals use buildings during cold spells.
Municipal animal control and building managers often respond with exclusion measures: sealing entry points, installing one-way doors, and trapping followed by relocation. Public guidance usually recommends securing trash, repairing structural gaps, and contacting professionals rather than attempting capture oneself.
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As a mom of three busy boys, I know how chaotic life can get — but I’ve learned that it’s possible to create a beautiful, cozy home even with kids running around. That’s why I started Cultivated Comfort — to share practical tips, simple systems, and a little encouragement for parents like me who want to make their home feel warm, inviting, and effortlessly stylish. Whether it’s managing toy chaos, streamlining everyday routines, or finding little moments of calm, I’m here to help you simplify your space and create a sense of comfort.
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