Two Viral Stories: A Drunk Raccoon… and the “AI Monkeys” Situation
📰 Two Stories for the Price of One: A Drunk Raccoon… and the “AI Monkeys” Situation
On this week’s, “Wait… what?” leaderboard…
1) The raccoon that broke into a liquor store and passed out in the bathroom 🦝🥴
This is one of those headlines that feels fake until you read it.
A raccoon fell through a ceiling tile into a liquor store after hours, knocked over bottles, and was later found unconscious on the bathroom floor.
Somewhere between “tiny burglar” and “hangover mascot,” it became peak internet content.
2) Monkeys on the loose in St. Louis… and AI made it worse 🐒🤖
St. Louis officials were trying to track down loose vervet monkeys — but the search got harder because AI-generated images and videos spread online, muddying real sightings with fake ones.
References
Associated Press. (2025, December 3). Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor. https://apnews.com/article/5109feb2ea9ab9bf8954ec3798689fd0
Associated Press. (2026, January 12). Monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis, and AI-generated images are complicating the search. https://apnews.com/article/96c55834c7f17854cc4362db891ca8fa
ABC News. (2026, January 12). Monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis, and AI images are complicating the search. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/monkeys-loose-st-louis-ai-complicate-efforts-capture-129139193
