Rare ringtail caught after spending 3 weeks in Colorado Kohl's department store
A ringtail cat that survived on eating ceiling tiles and shoe boxes in a Kohl's in Colorado has been captured, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said. The rare animal spent three weeks hiding out in the shoe department before being caught.
It's a raccoon…it's a cat... it's a catcoon?!
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) January 9, 2023
No, it's a ringtail cat! This little guy was hiding out in the shoe depart in a Kohls store for 3 weeks. Eating ceiling tiles & shoe boxes, he would sneak in and out of our cat traps to get the food w/o tripping the mechanism
1/2 pic.twitter.com/xcSGjTJpbA
Officials said that the animal was also able to steal food from cat traps that were placed in the store without tripping the mechanism. The ringtail was released into the nearby woods following its capture, officials said.
Ringtails, which are members of the raccoon family, are known for being incredibly elusive and are nocturnal, according to the Los Padres Forestwatch. They're known for eating mice, birds and reptiles along with some plants and fruits.
Ringtails are also known for being climbers and having hind paws that can rotate 180 degrees, the agency said.
Researchers know very little about the ringtail population, which is a cause for concern for the species. Threats include the destruction of its habitat, being hit by cars and contracting diseases from stray animals.