Lone raccoon makes brief appearance on Toronto subway, causes delay

TORONTO – Toronto commuters had some unexpected company on the ride in to work this morning when a raccoon surfaced on a downtown subway route.

Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Brad Ross says the raccoon was first spotted at around 8 a.m. on a southbound train heading towards Spadina Station, one of the hubs connecting Toronto’s two main subway lines.

Ross says the animal got off at Spadina and wandered around the platform for awhile before escaping into a nearby tunnel.

The raccoon’s presence caused about a four-minute delay during the morning rush hour.

Ross says TTC facilities are fenced in and secured from unwanted human visitors, but says he’s not sure how the raccoon managed to hop a ride.

Ross says the animal’s presence was not worrisome despite a recent rash of raccoon rabies cases in the nearby city of Hamilton.

“It’s a rare event, so we’ll put this down to cuteness,” Ross said in an email.