Animal Tales: Wayward Bears, Fox In A Jar And A Missing Toucan

It's hard to deny the inner-child fantasy of being a zookeeper. Seriously, who wouldn't jump at the chance to hang out with cute and cuddly animals everyday? Maybe even some not-so cute animals. Which is probably why across social media – and on the pages of Patch – we humans love our animal stories.

And this has been an exceptional week for animals in the news.

First, the bare necessities.

Police and wildlife officials were quick to reassure Pittsburgh residents that they were safe and not to worry – too much. Yes, there was a bear traipsing around people's backyards, but it was just doing what bears like to do, mainly wander about and look for food. Residents were told the bear, a 200-pounder, was wild and were cautioned to make sure they didn't leave out their trash can or other food for them. Otherwise, they likely would get a visit.

Meanwhile, down in Atlanta, another wild bear had a bit of a run-in with the law. This guy was first seen nosing around Fulton County Jail early Friday morning and later near a train stop. Eventually, wildlife sharpshooters caught up with him, tranquilized him and then relocated him to somewhere in the north Georgia woods, where he wouldn't be such a bother. (Wait, who said he was a bother?)

Then, there was Ian, a 5-year-old boy who visited the Nashville Zoo with his family. Standing in front of the Andean bear-enclosure, little Ian decided to hop in front of the glass to get a bear's attention. He did. A bear decided to join Ian for an impromptu game of copycat (copybear?) – and it was all caught in a super-cute video by Ian's father.

Bears were not the only curious creatures.

You've heard about these people that climb skyscrapers just for kicks and grins. Well, in St. Paul, Minnesota, an adventurous raccoon quickly became a social media star after it embarked on an impressive journey up a downtown skyscraper. A Minnesota Public Radio reporter diligently documented the moves of "spider raccoon," who became a trending social media star.

The raccoon successfully scaled the 23-floor building. But, just like the people who illegally scale buildings, the masked animal-bandit was greeted by authorities with a cage – and carted away and later released back into the wild – away from downtown.

In Miami, Tiki the Toucan is making the rounds. She's been a popular attraction at the Flamingo Gardens animal sanctuary, but escaped her coop last weekend. She's been spotted around town several times, but each time Tiki's handlers get close, they have been left holding the proverbial bird in the bush.

An animal keeper said she worries for Tiki, whose been in captivity her entire life and could become a target for wild birds of prey. So, if you're in Miami and see a confused toucan, give the sanctuary a call.

Since it's spring time, that means graduation time. And graduation pictures. In Portland, Oregon, zookeepers decided they needed to honor "kids" graduating this year in a goat bonanza. One cutie won the honor of "Most likely to eat her diploma" and another as the class' "Nannydictorian."

Not to be outdone by the Portland goats, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens also celebrated their special kids, including the "Most Likely To Have A Brush With Fame." For what it's worth, there are no Baaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh kids. (Sorry, it just seemed we needed a goat joke.)

Out in California, whale watchers are having a banner year.

Recently, whale watchers on a charter spotted a mother blue whale with her 35-foot long baby calf. The pair frolicked off the coast while onlookers were able to watch and listen to them at play. It was a breathtakingly up-close encounter with the "magnificent blue whale mother and her calf," according to the charter captain.

And, lastly, for those of us who have ever had a really, really bad day, we present Miracle the Fox (aka, Jarhead) in Tampa. Admit it, we've all done dumb things that we regret. And, sometimes, we get caught in uncomfortable positions. Such is the case with Miracle.

Poor Miracle, despite being smart like a fox, got his noggin stuck in jar. (OK, go ahead and laugh. Just remember, if animals could talk, they'd probably have some good stories to tell about us humans.)

He was eventually caught and rescued from the jar.

(Patch Midwest Regional Editor Jeff Stacklin is an animal lover – and a lover of a good animal story. If you have a good animal yarn to share, go ahead and send him an email at jeff.stacklin@patch.com. And don't forget to send photos.)

Lead photo courtesy of Fire Rescue Station 26 in Wesley Chapel, Florida