"Please Save Me": Police Block Road to Rescue Raccoon Stuck with Only Its Head Poking Out of Sewer Cover

Found in a Canadian Highway Drain
Similar Incidents Repeated in the US

A raccoon that was stuck with its head caught in the gap of a sewer cover was safely rescued with the help of the police. The raccoon's cute yet pitiful appearance, peeking out with only its face through the cover, has become a trending topic online. On September 29, Yonhap News TV, citing UPI, reported that authorities launched a rescue operation after receiving reports from drivers who discovered the raccoon stuck in a sewer gap near a road.

A raccoon that was stuck with its head caught in the gap of a sewer cover was safely rescued with the help of the police. The raccoon's cute yet pitiful appearance, with only its face peeking out from the cover, has become a hot topic online. TheSpec

Previously, on September 23, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Canada responded to a report that a raccoon was stuck in a storm drain cover at a highway ramp in the Burlington area. The raccoon was found near the on-ramp connecting eastbound Highway 403 to Highway 407. It was reported that passing drivers spotted the raccoon with only its head protruding from the sewer cover and notified the police.

The police who arrived at the scene restricted one lane for a safe rescue operation. Then they lifted the drain cover and removed the raccoon that was stuck in the gap. The police named the rescued raccoon 'Rocky', after a movie character. Fortunately, the raccoon did not appear to be seriously injured and left the scene on its own once the rescue was complete.

The police who arrived at the scene restricted one lane for a safe rescue operation. Then they lifted the drain cover and removed the raccoon that was stuck in the gap. TheSpec

Incidents of raccoons getting their heads stuck in sewer covers occur from time to time in North America. Just two months prior, in July 2026, in Lost Raver Township, Pennsylvania, a raccoon was discovered with its head trapped in a metal storm drain cover. When police and public works officials failed to free it despite multiple attempts, firefighters brought in hydraulic rescue equipment known as the "Jaws of Life". Ultimately, they cut the cover to rescue the raccoon, which immediately ran away once freed.

A similar incident happened in April 2025 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Police discovered a raccoon with its head stuck in a drain cover hole. Although they removed the cover, the raccoon's head remained firmly wedged. A citizen at the scene broke open a laundry detergent pod to use as a lubricant, and after about 20 minutes, they successfully freed the raccoon.

In August 2024, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, firefighters and animal control used olive oil provided by a citizen to rescue a raccoon whose head was stuck in a drain cover. After the rescue, the raccoon was given water and returned to its wildlife habitat. In 2021, a raccoon was found with its head caught in the center hole of a sewer cover in Michigan. Rescue workers initially tried to use soap to lubricate the area around the raccoon’s head but failed, and ultimately used cooking oil donated by a nearby resident to free the animal safely. Going back further, in 2019, a young raccoon in Newton, Massachusetts spent some time immobilized with its head wedged between a storm drain cover before firefighters and animal control officials managed to rescue it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.