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San Francisco Animal Care and Control officers rescued three baby raccoons from Chase Center on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
SAN FRANCISCO - A family of orphaned baby raccoons was pulled from the walls of the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center in San Francisco.
What we know:
It happened on Sunday, a Warriors off day. San Francisco Animal Care and Control was called to the arena on a report of raccoons at the site.
An animal control officer arrived and managed to locate and rescue two baby raccoons from inside the walls.
The agency was later called back to the arena when Chase officials noticed a third baby raccoon.
This one found itself in a compromising position when it got its head stuck in the wall, according to SF Animal Care and Control.
The agency shared a photo of the bushy little animal with its body and tail hanging through a narrow opening of an outside wall.
A baby raccoon believed to be living in the wall at Chase Center got its head stuck in the wall on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
Animal care officers carried out a delicate rescue that required careful skill and some rearranging of building material.
"Officer Keefe changed the baby’s body position and Officer in Training Borg pulled the tile piece out as far as possible, and together they got the baby raccoon free," animal care officials wrote on social media.
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The three raccoon kits were brought to the non-profit Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue for care.
"It sounds like the babies were living in a wall," SF Animal Care and Control spokesperson Deb Campbell told KTVU in an email correspondence on Tuesday.
Three orphaned raccoons rescued from Chase Center in San Francisco were taken to Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue for care. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
More where they came from
And it seemed the trio weren’t the only ones that had moved into the Warriors' home. Their siblings had also found refuge there.
"The manager of the Chase Center found two more babies later and drove them over to Yggdrasil," Campbell explained.
While being called to a high-profile location like Chase may be a rarity for animal care, coming to the rescue of animals, especially young ones during wild animal baby season, is just another day at the office for these officers.
Officers rescued a baby raccoon that had gotten its head stuck in the wall at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
"We’re getting calls about underage animals and birds on a regular basis," Campbell explained, adding, "Thankfully we work with amazing organizations (like Yggdrasil) who care for orphaned mammals."
What we don't know:
Animal care experts don’t know what happened to the baby raccoons’ mother.
But officials said for San Francisco city animals, it can be a jungle out there.
"It’s pretty common for raccoons (and other wildlife) to be hit by cars, eat animals (like rats) that have been poisoned, or have other mishaps," Campbell explained. "San Francisco can be a tough city for wildlife!"
A total of five baby raccoons were rescued from Chase Center in San Francisco. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
It's unknown what happened to the baby raccoon's mother, San Francisco Animal Care and Control said. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control )
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