Stowaway racoon survives for a month by eating cardboard

A stowaway racoon survived for a month at sea by drinking condensation and eating cardboard.

The racoon, now known as Meeko, somehow got into a shipping container in Davenport, Iowa, in the US. It was then sent by rail to Halifax in Canada, and shipped to Liverpool.

The Metro reports that the cargo was then driven to Ebbw Vale in South Wales, where workers found Meeko hiding in their machine parts order.

Mekko now has a new home at Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Abercrave. Jan Garen, who runs the sanctuary, said: "She was really thin when she arrived but is starting to put some weight on. She is getting used to us but has had a rough ride. She was locked in that container for four weeks and somehow survived by drinking condensation and eating cardboard. It's obvious that she wasn't a pet, she's a wild animal so she has to be handled very carefully."

This Is South Wales reports that Meeko, who is named after the racoon in the Disney film Pocahontas, is being fed a diet of fruit, boiled eggs and cat biscuits.

Jan Garen says: "We have to keep her as it would cost too much to send her back and the US authorities are unlikely to foot the bill. They are like foxes in America, can you imagine our Government paying to send a fox back from America?"

She explained that they are now trying to raise money to build Meeko a permanent home. She says: "We will have to build her somewhere to live with an area to climb, that will be another expense and we rely entirely on donations."

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