"Got any food up here ..... eh?"

Raccoon climbs 200 metres up Toronto crane

A photo of the raccoon, taken by a Toronto tower crane operator, is being widely shared by Twitter

By Tamara Khandaher/Staff Reporter
Thursday, April 16, 2015

A raccoon was photographed after climbing 200 metres up a crane in downtown Toronto. (Twitter)

A fearless raccoon who climbed more than 200 metres up a crane in Toronto briefly became Twitter-famous on Thursday morning after his photo was tweeted by a tower crane operator.

Rob MacFarlane, known for posting photos of the breathtaking views he’s often exposed to on the job, took a photo of the raccoon clutching onto the ladder, looking a little apprehensive, with his eyes wide open.

Many people expressed concern for the animal’s safety, but MacFarlane reassured everyone that it got back down unhurt, and that it was just as brave on its way down.

“They are the tortoise in the story,” MacFarlane told the Star. “Not so fast, but efficient

The raccoon had made the 213-metre climb overnight and was waiting for MacFarlane when he arrived at work.

When he got close, the raccoon stared at him blankly and hissed a bit. Seemingly annoyed by MacFarlane’s presence, it then confidently made his descent to the ground.

Surprisingly, this was not the first time MacFarlane has encountered a raccoon so high off the ground, he said on Twitter. Face-to-face, this was the second incident, but he has seen “evidence” multiple times before.

“It’s not unusual,” he said. “Raccoons seem to like cranes.”