On a typical Saturday morning, teacher Alex Peterson eagerly anticipated the weekend to indulge in her favorite activities that busy weekdays often sideline. Little did she know that this weekend would extend beyond the usual, marking a surprise position for her that began with an unexpected email from the assistant principal of her school.
An Unexpected “Guest”
A short while later, Alex discovered that a raccoon had taken refuge in the school, necessitating its capture by Monday to ensure classes could resume. Initially, as it was Saturday, Alex believed the issue would be resolved promptly, but things were about to take an unexpected turn.
“We needed to stay out of the building until it was caught,” Alex explained to The Dodo. “I definitely laughed when I got the email but really didn’t think much of it because we are located in Colorado right by the foothills — wildlife is an everyday thing.”
While she spent her Saturday delighting in leisure, her perspective shifted the following day when complications arose regarding the raccoon’s capture. By Sunday evening, another email revealed that the raccoons were proving to be trickier to catch than anticipated, leading to a closure of the building for the entire weekend.
“On Sunday, we got a second email saying that raccoons are harder to catch than initially suspected, so the building was closed for the entire weekend,” Alex recounted. Later that evening, another surprise arrived in her inbox: classes would be canceled on Monday due to the ongoing raccoon predicament.
Though appearing quite adorable, raccoons can be dangerous when cornered, especially in their ability to transmit the rabies virus through bites. Therefore, implementing effective strategies to prevent raccoons from entering residential or public spaces is crucial.
Amidst all this chaos, Alex found it hard to grasp the reality of the situation. While the school had previously closed for snow days, experiencing a “raccoon day” was beyond her imagination.
“I was cracking up,” Alex shared. “I texted everyone I thought would find it funny and announced that school was canceled for a ‘Raccoon Day!’ I immediately reached out to a coworker to see if she wanted to go hiking since we had an unexpected day off, and then texted another coworker to grab coffee.” Making the most of this surprise day off was a priority!
Finally “Arrested”
As Alex and her colleagues embraced their unplanned day off, the students were understandably elated. Meanwhile, the raccoon became the unfortunate centerpiece of an unexpected story that concluded with its capture. On Monday morning, a text shared the news that the raccoon had finally been caught, complete with an adorable photo of it in the trap. Alex noted that the classroom where it was discovered had signs of the raccoon’s presence, with curriculum materials nibbled on.
“Monday morning we received the text around 9 a.m. that she had been caught — attached was a cute picture of her in the trap,” Alex recounted. “The classroom she was finally caught in had curriculum materials nibbled on.”
This unusual episode elegantly wrapped up a three-day saga filled with humor and unexpected twists. Ultimately, both the raccoon, which was returned to the wild, and the teachers and students enjoyed a memorable Monday.
Sometimes, animals can bring unexpected joy in ways we never foresee.
