Raccoons in Toronto caused over a dozen power outages in 2023 [Video]

The raccoon behind a widespread power outage in downtown Toronto last week wasn’t the first of its kind to plunge residents into darkness.

Raccoons were behind 13 power outages in Toronto last year, according to figures provided by the city’s electricity distributor.

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On average, those outages were restored safely within 80 minutes, Toronto Hydro said.

Still, the interactions can be dangerous for both residents and the raccoons. Thursday’s outage cut power for more than 7,000 customers in the downtown core, brought elevators in high-rise buildings to a halt, and darkened traffic lights in some of the city’s busiest intersections. The raccoon responsible for the blackout was found dead on the Toronto Hydro property where it interacted with the equipment.

A raccoon is behind the massive power outage affecting a large portion of downtown Toronto that is currently impacting 7,000 customers. (Katherine DeClerq/CTVNewsToronto.ca)

In a statement to CTV News, Toronto Hydro said …