Ringtail returned to wild after being stuck inside Kohl’s store for 3 weeks

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (Gray News) – A ringtail was safely returned to the wild after it was stuck inside a Kohl’s store in Colorado for three weeks.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the animal was hiding out in the store’s shoe department throughout that time, eating ceiling tiles and shoe boxes.

Officials said the animal was able to sneak in and out of the cat traps they had set up without tripping them, making it very difficult to capture.

Finally, the ringtail was caught. The sheriff’s office released it into the nearby woods on Monday.

While ringtails are commonly referred to as ringtail cats, they aren’t actually cats at all. They are part of the Procyonidae family, which also includes raccoons.

Although native to Colorado, the sheriff’s office said ringtails are a rare sight to see because they are nocturnal animals.

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