Drunken raccoon staggers through German Christmas market
December 8, 2019
A raccoon indulged in too much mulled wine at a Christmas market in central Germany on Saturday, amusing onlookers as the furry animal staggered about before passing out.
Read more: The history of German Christmas markets
The raccoon was "obviously intoxicated," a police spokesperson from the city of Erfurt said.
"However, a breathalyzer test on the animal was not carried out," police said.
Apparently, the unsuspecting raccoon had sipped mulled wine left over from glasses, the mass daily Bild reported.
Video of the spectacle showed the raccoon wandering around, playing with a woman's shoes and then taking a rest on some steps in front of a building.
Read more: Germany: 'Highly aggressive cow' sparks lengthy police chase in Bavaria
Initial reports suggested the fire department had taken the inebriated raccoon to an animal shelter. However, the case was handed over to a local hunter, who subsequently shot the raccoon.
A similar case made headlines in the summer of 2018 when police officers picked up two tipsy hedgehogs near Erfurt's cathedral, where they had come across discarded bottles of alcohol-infused eggnog. The animals were then taken care of by the zoo.
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