A Raccoon Broke Into a Virginia Liquor Store and Drank Until It Passed Out. Officials Say He’s Fine.
There are wildlife encounters, and then there is what employees at an Ashland, Virginia, ABC store walked into early Saturday morning: a raccoon, flat on its side in the bathroom, unconscious, surrounded by the aftermath of its own break-in.
According to the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, the raccoon had made its way into the closed store overnight, fallen through a ceiling tile, and proceeded to break several bottles of alcohol on the lower shelves. Officials said the raccoon then consumed enough of the spilled liquor to become “very intoxicated,” ultimately collapsing in the restroom.
Animal Control Officer Samantha Martin, who responded to the call, described the scene with a matter-of-factness that suggested this was not the strangest event in her week.
“He fell through one of the ceiling tiles and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything,” she said. The raccoon was transported to the shelter to sober up.
Shelter officials said the animal showed no injuries “other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices,” and after several hours of sleep, the raccoon was released back into the wild. They added a hopeful note that “breaking and entering is not the answer,” though history suggests raccoons tend to operate on their own ethical frameworks.
A Small Story That Says Something Larger
Incidents like this have become increasingly common as human spaces expand and wildlife adapts to them. Bears walk into convenience stores. Foxes take up residence under porches. And occasionally, as in this case, a raccoon treats a state-run liquor store as an open bar.
Nothing about the episode is particularly profound, yet it lingers: the ceiling tile, the bottles, the bathroom floor, the raccoon sleeping it off like a regular weekend casualty. It reads almost like a satire of human behavior, except the protagonist is a nocturnal scavenger with opposable thumbs.
What We’re Left With
On paper, it’s a minor story: an animal caused damage, authorities responded, the animal recovered, and life in Hanover County moved on.
But in a news cycle that leans increasingly toward the heavy, stories like this land differently. They’re simple, self-contained, and uninterested in symbolism, though readers will inevitably find their own.
Perhaps it’s a reminder that coexistence with wildlife often looks like inconvenience, cleanup, and, occasionally, a raccoon on the bathroom floor of an ABC store reconsidering its night.
Officials say he’s expected to make a full recovery. The ceiling tile will take longer.