Raccoon stuck on light pole causes massive traffic backup, Alabama officials say

Traffic backed up for about a mile in two directions as rescuers saved a raccoon from atop a 40-foot light pole on an Alabama highway, wildlife officials said.

Michael Treat, director of Alabama Wildlife Rescue, an organization that rehabilitates and fosters small mammals throughout the state, got a call on June 11 about a raccoon stuck in a precarious position on Interstate 565 in Huntsville.

Huntsville is about 100 miles north of Birmingham.

The raccoon was perched atop a metal light pole as cars sped by below. Treat said he was worried that the raccoon could fall and go through someone’s windshield or cause a driver to swerve and crash.

“I determined that it was an extremely dangerous situation, and I contacted the Huntsville police for assistance with traffic control,” Treat told McClatchy News.

Police officers responded along with the fire department and an animal control officer. Treat also had six Alabama Wildlife Rescue volunteers with him, he said.

Officers shut down the highway, which has three lanes running in each direction, while Treat, a firefighter and the animal control officer went up to the top of the light pole in a fire truck ladder basket.

The rescuers managed to get the raccoon inside a net, but the ring-tailed critter didn’t cooperate.

“The raccoon decided it wanted to be a high jumper and it came out of the net and fell to the pavement below,” Treat said.

After laying still for a minute, Treat said the raccoon got up and ran toward one side of I-565. Volunteers managed to get a net over it, and with the help of a police officer, wrestled it to the ground.

Traffic was stalled for about 90 minutes during the rescue, he said.

Rescuers brought the animal to a local veterinary clinic, Treat said. As of Monday, June 13 he was not aware of the animal’s condition, but he said he worried it might have suffered internal injuries from the fall.

He also said he’s not sure how the raccoon managed to get to the top of the light pole.

“They have a lot of gripping power,” he said. “My guess is it just kind of hugged on the pole and worked its way up.”

Treat said he was grateful to the police and fire departments for their response and that no one was injured during the rescue. He encouraged members of the public to always contact their local wildlife rescue office when they see an animal in distress and not try to intervene themselves.

“I just hope that people will learn the compassion of caring for wildlife,” he said. “We have taken over their habitat by building our cities.

“These animals have nowhere to go so they’re showing up in really unusual places,” he said, “and it’s our responsibility as good stewards of mother earth to take care of these animals and see that their best interests are taken care of and not abandon them when they’re in need.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Raccoon stuck on light pole causes massive traffic backup, Alabama officials say."