Chaos unfurled at LaGuardia Airport New York when a raccoon was seen falling through the terminal ceiling before running wild on the concourse.
A passenger filmed the furry creature dangling from a cable as passengers queued to check in to their Spirit Airlines flight on Monday morning between 8 to 8:30 am.
Stunned staff scrambled in horror as the animal fell and scurried past onlookers – an airport alarm and a distressed barking dog can also be heard in the background of the video clip posted by a social media user on X.
One woman can be heard saying: “I need to hold him in my arms” while another is heard screaming in the background.
A speaker in the clip is heard saying: “Damn! Save LaGuardia!”
Then, a man who appears to be a passenger – dressed in jeans and a white cap – walks over to the animal with a transparent airport disposal bucket in an attempt to catch the fox-like animal.
@AhmadAnonimis, who posted the video tweeted: “Dead a***, just seen a raccoon fall from the ceiling in LaGuardia Airport” with skull emojis to amplify the incredulity of the animals’ emergence.
“Can’t make this up” he added in a second post with the video of the chaos attached.
Spirit Airlines sent a statement to The Independent: “A raccoon was located and released outside after briefly entering Terminal A at New York-LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Nov. 4.
“To ensure a positive experience for our LGA Guests, we immediately notified the facilities team and are addressing the matter with a professional wildlife control company.”
Port Authority toldThe Independent that the animal was secured and released outside and no further sightings of the agile creature were reported.
“To ensure safety, airport staff is working closely with a professional wildlife control company to monitor the area, identify potential entry points, and implement necessary precautions.
“Ongoing inspections and follow-up efforts are in place to prevent future incidents.”
The Independent contacted LaGuardia Airport and Spirit Airlines for comment.
