Rogue raccoon causes commotion in Akihabara

A raccoon spotted on a roadside Sunday night in Tokyo’s Akihabara district was caught about 1½ hours later after causing a commotion in the area, police said.

A male employee at an appliance shop in the popular tourist and electronics neighborhood spotted the animal around 6:50 p.m. and alerted the area’s police station.

The raccoon, about 60 cm long, was eventually caught by two police officers and a pedestrian, who got bitten on their fingers and arms, the police said.

The animal, thought to have escaped from its owner’s house or a pet shop, was displayed to the public in a cage at the police station on Monday morning.

Raccoons are originally native to North America but can now be found in Japan.

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