In Toronto, Canada, Megan O’Connor walks her dog in a ravine. Along the walk, she noticed something unusual moving out of the corner of her eye.
She moved closer to see what was happening, and for this raccoon, it’s a good thing she did. O’Connor found the raccoon rustling around with a plastic jar stuck over his head.
With the jar still on its head, O’Connor couldn’t even tell that it was a raccoon yet. It was obvious that he was breathing, but who could tell how well? The jar was very tight around his head. Raccoons have tiny faces, but not that tiny.
O’Connor called for rescuers to come from the Toronto Wildlife Centre immediately. The rescuers arrived quickly to help the animal. One rescuer held the animal tightly while the other worked to cut the jar open, safely, from around his face.
And finally, they unmasked the fluffy little guy for the raccoon he was.
The rescuers saw a sore on the raccoon’s nose, and he was covered in grease. They guessed that the plastic container might have likely been a mayonnaise jar. He was likely covered in leftover mayonnaise which caused his fur to become greasy.
On top of this, the raccoon had an injured paw. The wildlife center took him in to clean him up and ensure that he would heal. They ended up keeping him for five days.
The executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre explained that he likely hadn’t been stuck for very long. His health wasn’t too bad, so it was fortunate for O’Connor to have found him when she had. If she hadn’t, the raccoon could have very likely suffocated or starved to death.
Returning To The Woods
Despite the potential odds, the raccoon fully recovered and was able to return to his home in the woods! Thousands of animals like this raccoon are trapped or tangled up in trash every year, but not all of them are as lucky as this little guy.
O’Connor and the rescuers are aware of the potential threats that improperly discarded trash poses for wildlife and hopes that people will be more careful.
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