Raccoon Rescued From Lobster Trap in New York Parking Garage
A routine day for a security guard in Island Park, New York, took an unexpected turn when he spotted something strange inside a nearby parking garage — an old lobster trap, oddly left behind in one of the corners.
At first, it just looked like abandoned equipment, but as he got closer, the guard noticed movement inside. Peering through the mesh, he realized that a raccoon was trapped within, frantically trying to find a way out.
No one knows exactly how the curious animal ended up there — maybe he was searching for food and caught a whiff of leftover bait, or maybe the trap just seemed like a safe place to hide. Either way, the raccoon’s adventure had clearly gone wrong.
Concerned for the animal’s safety, the guard immediately reached out for help. Animal rescuer John Debacker, known locally for saving wildlife in distress, jumped into action — driving nearly an hour to reach the site.
When Debacker arrived, he expected a frightened, struggling raccoon. Instead, he found the little creature curled up and fast asleep inside the trap.
“He was actually very calm,” Debacker told The Dodo.
After checking to make sure the raccoon wasn’t injured, Debacker carefully opened the trap door. With a bit of gentle encouragement, the animal dashed out and disappeared into the nearby bushes — free at last.
Watching the raccoon run off into the night, Debacker couldn’t help but smile.
“It felt great,” he said. “Just knowing he can go back to living his normal life out in the wild.”