Raccoon Repeat Offender: Liquor Store Burglar Strikes Again at Karate Studio and DMV

A raccoon that previously broke into a liquor store in the US has caused chaos once again

A raccoon that gained notoriety after breaking into a US liquor store and passing out drunk last month has apparently continued its crime spree. According to animal control officer Samantha Martin from Hanover, the same raccoon is suspected of breaking into a karate studio and later raiding the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for snacks.

"Supposedly, this is the third break-in he's had," Officer Martin told the BBC.

"He was in the karate studio. I think he got into the DMV and ate some of their snacks one time," she explained.

The raccoon, affectionately nicknamed "trash panda," first made headlines when it was found face-down after a "liquor-fuelled rampage" in November. The animal left behind significant destruction including broken liquor bottles, dishevelled shelves, toppled boxes, and damaged approximately 14 bottles of spirits valued at around $250.

After the initial incident, the raccoon was released back into the wild after sobering up.

"After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer," officials stated in their release.

Research published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology suggests that raccoons are evolving based on their proximity to humans and could potentially become domesticated pets in the future. Urban raccoons now exhibit "a clear reduction in snout length" compared to their rural counterparts and are becoming increasingly comfortable around human populations.

Officer Martin mentioned that the furry culprit might be spotted again at local shopping centers searching through garbage.

While acknowledging that it could potentially be a different raccoon, authorities have identified the 'drunk raccoon' as their primary suspect in this series of break-ins.