Animal Control Rescues Raccoon Kit From Hangar Roof
Officers lifted a worker to the roof of a hangar at Alameda Point to retrieve a stranded raccoon kit and reunite it with its mother.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Wildlife
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A caller alerted Alameda police that a raccoon had been unable to descend from a hangar roof at Alameda Point overnight. Animal Control Officer Emily Crum was lifted to the top of the hangar with help from the Public Works Department, secured the animal, and brought it to solid ground.
Why it matters
The rescue shows how local animal control coordinates with city departments to handle wildlife found in unexpected places around Alameda. The reunion method illustrates a way to return displaced young wildlife to their parents rather than relocating them.
The raccoon had been on the hangar roof overnight before the Oct. 26 call. A trail camera at the DOER Marine warehouse recorded the mother returning to collect the kit.
The players
Emily Crum
Crum is an Animal Control Officer with the City of Alameda who was lifted to the hangar roof to rescue the raccoon kit.
DOER Marine
DOER Marine is a marine company whose Deep Ocean Explore Store warehouse at Alameda Point provided space for the kit's reunion with its mother.
The details
Crum was lifted to the top of the hangar with help from Public Works Department staff and secured the frightened raccoon before bringing it back down. Officers determined the animal was a kit and placed it where the mother could hear or smell it, in an unused section of DOER Marine's Deep Ocean Explore Store warehouse that included a small animal crate and a trail camera.
Timeline
Oct. 26, 2026: A caller alerted Alameda police to the raccoon stuck on the hangar roof.
Overnight following Oct. 26, 2026: The trail camera recorded the mother raccoon carrying the kit away.
Wildlife Reunion Practice
The reunion follows the wildlife-rescue approach of returning displaced young animals to their mothers when they can be located nearby. This method tends to be preferred over relocating young animals, which can separate them from the parents who still care for them.
If you find a young wild animal that appears stranded, contact local animal control before moving it, since the mother may still be nearby. Keeping a safe distance gives the parent the best chance to retrieve the young animal.
The takeaway
Young wildlife found alone is not always abandoned, so checking whether a parent is nearby before intervening can help keep families together.
Further reading
Explore more local stories in the Wildlife section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cool Down.
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