Mets fans got the surprise of a lifetime Wednesday when a furry gray paw emerged from a small hole in the Citi Field stands just in front of their seats and started probing the cement for discarded peanut shells.
The paw belonged to an opportunistic raccoon that had staked out the perfect spot at the Queens ballpark to feast on errant food dropped by fans on game days.
“Holy hell!” Scott Reynolds exclaimed while filming the amusing but startling moment.
“Oh my god!” a woman can be heard saying as the animal’s paw adeptly probes the ground in the immediate vicinity of the hole in search of a salty snack.
Reynolds said he and his family were eating peanuts and dropping shells in the stands, as is custom, when they made the unusual sighting.
“We soon realized that it was a Raccoon,” he said.
The footage shows another hand guiding a hot dog into the recess, in a bid to help the trash panda fill its belly, which quickly vanished into the hole as the paw re-emerged to claim its meaty prize.
“He took it!” a laughing woman’s voice can be heard saying.
Although it was a bit unnerving at first encountering a wild animal somewhere so unexpected, Reynolds said ultimately, “we laughed and enjoyed the extra show.”
