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Rescued raccoon, head stuck in storm drain, clings to grate until help arrives
🇦🇷 Argentina /Disasters & Emergencies

Rescued raccoon, head stuck in storm drain, clings to grate until help arrives

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A young raccoon was rescued in Massachusetts after its head became stuck in a storm drain grate.
  • Emergency responders from multiple agencies worked together to carefully remove the grate with the raccoon still attached.
  • The animal was taken to a wildlife center, where it was sedated, treated for dehydration and inflammation, and is expected to recover and return to the wild.

A young raccoon in Massachusetts found itself in a desperate situation, its head trapped in a storm drain grate with its claws clinging to the metal bars. The animal's distress was evident as it looked at a man with desperation, its face skyward and back toward the sewer.

We didn't know how long it had been stuck and could only imagine how exhausted and scared it was.

— New England Wildlife Centers (NEWC)Describing the animal's condition upon arrival at the wildlife center.

Normally, the New England Wildlife Centers (NEWC) in Cape Cod would respond immediately. However, the center was overwhelmed with urgent cases. Fortunately, rescuers from Bourne's Natural Resources, Fire Department, Police Department, and Public Works arrived to help. They devised a plan to carefully remove the grate with the raccoon still attached.

The rescue operation was successful, and the raccoon was transported to the NEWC hospital. Staff were amazed at what the animal had endured. "We didn't know how long it had been stuck and could only imagine how exhausted and scared it was," NEWC stated.

We used canola oil and plastic trash bags to minimize friction as much as possible so its head would fit through the small holes in the grate.

— New England Wildlife Centers (NEWC)Explaining the method used to free the raccoon's head.

Veterinarians quickly sedated the raccoon in the parking lot. Using canola oil and plastic trash bags to minimize friction, they gently worked to free its head from the grate. After a few attempts, they succeeded in releasing the animal within 10 minutes.

It took us a couple of tries, but in 10 minutes we managed to free it.

— New England Wildlife Centers (NEWC)Detailing the time it took to successfully remove the raccoon from the grate.

Relief washed over the NEWC team as the raccoon was freed. During its sedation, a full examination revealed no major issues. Upon waking, the raccoon showed no signs of distress, moving all its limbs and neck correctly. It quickly became as active and playful as any young raccoon, seemingly unfazed by its ordeal. The NEWC hopes for a full recovery and plans to return it to the wild. It is currently being monitored in an outdoor enclosure.

Upon waking, it began to sit up and we could see that it could move all its limbs and neck correctly.

— New England Wildlife Centers (NEWC)Describing the raccoon's recovery and mobility after being freed.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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