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Raccoon has to have its head greased after getting it stuck in a hole

Raccoon with head stuck in hole in a metal structure

There are many words that could be used to describe raccoons — wily, curious, resourceful — but “dignified” would not be one of them.

In the recent past, we’ve seen stoned raccoons, paddleboarding raccoons, and cat-food-stealing raccoons. Now, to add to the Raccoon Hall of Indignities, we introduce: the raccoon that got its head stuck in a hole.

This raccoon was spotted with her head stuck through a hole in an old generator at San Francisco’s City College. The raccoon was clearly unable to free herself, and while she may have looked funny, she was under considerable stress. Fortunately for her, Animal Care was called, and they set about the task of getting her free.

“No one knows how she got stuck, but we just need[ed] to know how to get her out,” Officer Edith of the San Francisco Animal Care and Control told the Press Association. “Because she was in great distress, the responding officer (Officer Ana Keefe) was unable just to pull her out.”

The first step was to call in a vet to sedate the animal. After that, the officers went to the tried-and-true method for getting anything free from a tight spot: greasing it up. The raccoon’s head had to be doused in baby oil, but once that was done, the officers were able to pull her free without harm. The raccoon was then examined at the Animal Care headquarters, and released that evening near where she’d been found — “So she can go home with a dramatic story to tell,” according to Officer Edith.

Twitter Exchange: Ironkneebone: "Looks like he'll make a full recofurry" Officeredith: "Nice"

Why did the raccoon stick its head in the hole? It’s a question that may go down in history, along with “Why did the chicken cross the road?” But whatever the answer is, we’re guessing this raccoon won’t go sticking her head into any mysterious structures again anytime soon.

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