A raccoon that broke into a Virginia store and happily made its way through the liquor aisle is now suspected of a larger crime spree, officials say.
An animal control officer in Hanover suspects the striped-tailed mammal also broke into a nearby karate studio and then raided the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a snack.
“This is believed to be the third break-in he's done,” Officer Samantha Martin said.
The raccoon, now dubbed the “rejected panda,” was first discovered passed out in the bathroom of an Ashland liquor store two days after Thanksgiving. Having sobered up, the unlikely criminal was released back into the wild.
New Study Finds Mammals Wearing Masks Known for rummaging through trash cans for easy food, they thrive and become comfortable around people.
Ms Martin says it is only a matter of time before the masked gunman strikes the shopping center again.
“This isn't the first time he's been in one of the buildings,” she told the county government's official podcast, “Hear in Hanover,” on Thursday.
“He was in a karate studio. I think it ended up at the DMV. [and] ate their snacks one day,” she said.
She later added that there was a possibility that the previous break-ins could have been carried out by a different raccoon, but officials named him as their prime suspect.
Raccoons are known for breaking into people's trash cans, earning them the nickname “garbage panda.”
The county has been selling shirts with the “trash panda” logo and had raised a whopping $207,000 (£155,000) as of Friday. The money will be used to renovate the shelter and increase its capacity, Ms. Martin said.
Officials say Little Kung Fu Trash Panda lived his best life when he was apprehended at a liquor store and remained in good spirits even after he was placed in a county kennel.
“I just put him there, [and] let him relax a bit for a few hours. The sun was beating down on him so he felt fine,” Ms. Martin said, adding that he was released about a mile from the shopping complex. “He didn't do anything wrong. He was just having a good time.”
The story has gone viral and Ms Martin says it's because it's so “interesting”.
“Everyone was there,” she says. “Everyone had a few more drinks and passed out outside the toilet, hoping someone would come get you the next morning.”
“I hope he learned his lesson,” she said, before adding that there was a good chance he would soon be caught committing another robbery.
“He'll be back. He's not a fool.”
