'Feisty' Raccoon Breaks Into Parks Department Office in Hilarious Video

Officials at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department were paid a visit by a masked bandit of sorts at the Grand Junction branch on Wednesday morning.

After hearing some commotion in the office, the region staff ran in to find a large raccoon curled up in a box of papers on the top of a bookshelf.

"The raccoon explored a few other offices before finding one that was just right to stay warm and dry this morning," the CPW Northwest Region tweeted about the incident.

Raccoons can be found throughout the United States, with the exception of the Rocky Mountains and the most arid areas of the Southwest. The mammals eat just about anything, including garbage, as anyone who has ever had their trash can raided by one will know.

Adult raccoons grow to about 2- to 3-feet long and can weigh up to 22 pounds. While healthy specimens are not typically aggressive, they may scratch and bite if they feel threatened. Raccoons can also carry various diseases, including rabies, so it is best not to handle them, as cuddly as they seem.

In the footage, viewed over 12,000 times on Twitter, an officer can be seen using a long pole to dislodge the raccoon from the box and eventually chase it out of the office. However, as several Twitter users were quick to point out, the raccoon was very disgruntled by the disturbance and can be seen pushing away the pole with its paws.

"That raccoon wants to speak to the manager," wrote one user.

Retweeting the Northwest office's post, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department described the animal as "feisty." At the end of the video, the raccoon can be seen running out into the office car park.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the only real solution for getting a raccoon off your property is to remove whatever might be attracting it. That means sealing up garbage cans and removing any other available food sources.

If you are worried that a raccoon might be entering your house, it is important to get rid of any easy-access routes like low-hanging branches and pet doors.

Raccoons can be relocated without a permit in the state of Colorado. However, the department must be notified in advance and the relocation site has to be an appropriate habitat for the species within 2 miles of the capture zone. However, because of the risks posed by these animals, it is usually safer to call in a professional.