HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Staff at a leading Bermuda paint company had a shock when they opened a shipping container and found a live raccoon that had survived a sea journey from North America, presumably without food or drink.

The animal, which was later put down because of health risks, stowed away in the container in the United States before being brought across the Atlantic to Hamilton docks.

The raccoon — an animal not normally found in Bermuda — was discovered inside the container by staff at Pembroke Paint Company on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said: “Government officers attended the scene and the animal was removed.”

She added that the container, which left Scarborough in Ontario, Canada, a week ago, was inspected for additional “live cargo” but nothing else was found.

The spokeswoman confirmed that the animal was put to sleep immediately by government officers.

“In these matters, a wild raccoon would not be returned to the country of origin, as no country would accept it. “Due to the unknown disease status of this wild animal and the potential implications to human health, the raccoon was humanely euthanised immediately,” she said.

“Raccoons are susceptible to a large number of different infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Thankfully, no person came into contact with the raccoon, and so no human was put at risk,” she added.

It is not the first time a raccoon has managed to make its way to Bermuda.

A young raccoon was put down in 2008 after being discovered in a shipping container that had arrived on board a container ship from Baltimore.