A raccoon was sighted roaming freely in a garden in Gwennap, Cornwall, prompting an alert from RSPCA Cornwall.
Local zoos confirmed their raccoons were accounted for, suggesting the escaped animal might have been a pet.
The raccoon was subsequently located and secured in a nearby greenhouse on Thursday evening.
This incident marks the second exotic animal escape in Cornwall this month, following a flamingo's disappearance.
Frankie, a four-month-old flamingo that escaped from Paradise Park in St Ives on 2 November, was later identified in Tréflez, Brittany, France, with keepers deeming her return logistically unfeasible.