The raccoon got overconfident.
According to Zion, Illinois police, in a town near Chicago, the animal had been “eating far too well” among the trash cans. The result was plain to see: its belly no longer fit through the opening it used to pass through and it got stuck in the grate of a storm drain, in the 2000 block of Gideon Avenue.
The first to arrive was Officer Ken Vaughn, but without the right tools, there wasn’t much he could do. He called animal control, but even they couldn’t get it out. The police posted the photos on Facebook and called in the Department of Public Works for backup, whom they ultimately called “the real heroes” of the day.
Their team lifted the grate and freed the raccoon. The animal came out without a scratch, and Deputy Police Chief Kirk Henderson assured everyone it was “definitely healthy” and “well prepared for winter”.
If you’ve ever gotten up on a Monday regretting the weekend, you know how the raccoon felt.