HOBOKEN – The Hoboken Police Department ran into an “aggressive raccoon” in the vicinity of Stevens Park (near Fourth and Hudson Streets) on Monday, May 2 in the morning hours of 9:20 a.m., a press release from the department said.
The rowdy raccoon was aggressive toward people and dogs in the area, according to police, which promoted further action.
“[The officer] was concerned about the possibility of the raccoon being sick or possibly rabid placing children and people in danger of a bite,” said Hoboken Sgt. Edgardo Cruz in a press release.
Cruz said the officer on the scene contacted a parks department employee and the two waited for an animal control officer to arrive. In the meantime officer reportedly set up a perimeter to keep people from walking into the park.
The sly mammal escaped a harness when the animal control officer first attempted to capture him/her before finally being trapped on a second attempt. Cruz assured the animal was not injured during the capture and was later sent to the Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City, which Hoboken has a contract with to deal with animal relocation.
“The Liberty Humane Society said the raccoon is doing well and was released in a less populated area,” Cruz stated on Tuesday afternoon. -SR
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