Tanuki on the Bus

I don't know how many of you saw the movie "Pom Poko" which tells the story of a colony of raccoons or "tanuki" (who according to Japanese tradition are magical and have the capacity to transform themselves into humans, teapots,and other animals) who sometimes go into the city on visits, but this story of a raccoon found on a bus to NYC from New Jersey in today's Daily News gave me reason to wonder. Was this creature, described on a website linked above as the "modern-day god of gluttony, boozing and restauranteurs" just on a pleasure trip to visit NY's great restaurants and party spots? If so, his wild weekend was sadly cut short when he was killed at the animal control center on 110th street. There is evidence to suggest a rabies epidemic among New Jersey raccoons.