Early one morning in Canada, a homeowner stepped outside — only to freeze in disbelief at the sight in front of them.
There, on the front porch, a chubby raccoon was dangling halfway out of the ceiling — his furry bottom swinging in the air, his head and shoulders wedged firmly above.
At some point during the night, the curious raccoon had apparently found his way into the attic. When it came time to leave, he seemed to have picked what he thought was a convenient exit — through the porch’s light fixture. Unfortunately for him, it was a much tighter squeeze than expected.
By the time morning arrived, the poor raccoon was hopelessly stuck.
“The homeowner found him there and called us,” said Max McVety of Forest City Wildlife Control in an interview with The Dodo. “The raccoon was just kind of hanging there. They can usually pull themselves through small holes, but he didn’t have anything to grab onto.”
McVety and his team quickly came to the rescue. Setting up a ladder beneath the trapped animal, McVety offered the raccoon a helping hand — and a bit of leverage.
Here's footage of that effort, and its successful conclusion:
“I put a ladder under him and handed him a rope,” McVety said. “Then I started to pull.”
After a few tense moments (and some wiggling from the raccoon), the furry intruder finally managed to squeeze the rest of the way through the hole.
Once free, he landed lightly on the ladder, took a quick look around, and then bolted off toward the trees — unharmed and very much done with attics for the day.
Wildlife rescues don’t always go so smoothly, McVety noted. Often, animals need to be handled directly with gloves or poles, which can cause them stress. But this particular raccoon just needed a boost — and a lucky break.
“It was definitely fortunate,” McVety said.
The hole the raccoon used to get inside has since been sealed, ensuring that this comical situation won’t repeat itself. Still, for McVety, it’s one rescue he won’t soon forget.
“It’s something different every day,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve seen some interesting situations — but this one? This was definitely not your everyday rescue.”
