How often do you see an animal trapped on a stone pier of a bridge? Now, imagine the shock of seeing one during your casual drive.
Tom, a commuter from Pennsylvania, certainly didn’t expect to encounter such a sight. He crosses the same bridge every day on his way to work, but one day, a furry creature shocked him to the core…
Horrific Sight
Tom couldn’t believe his eyes. Right on top of the pier sat a strange-looking furry animal that wasn’t moving at all. When he took a closer look, he realized it was a raccoon.
Shocked by what he had just witnessed, Tom drove away. He hoped the raccoon was just lost and would eventually find its way to the wild. However, the next morning, he spotted the same animal in the same place!
Tom contacted the police and Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, who responded to his call immediately.
A team of rescuers was deployed to the site to help the poor animal. They slowly climbed up onto the platform, trying to reach the raccoon, but the rescue itself was extremely complex.
The raccoon was skittish and refused to just “hop into the large net” they held right next to him. Instead, he remained motionless until something horrific happened.
As the rescuers worked carefully, a tractor passed by. The loud noise startled the animal, causing it to slip out and fall into the river.
It was a moment of pure shock and silence!
“They worked carefully at over 100 feet above the Susquehanna River. Unfortunately, just as they had the raccoon securely caught in both nets, it became startled by a passing tractor-trailer, slipped out, and fell over 100 feet into the river,” the Center wrote in a Facebook statement.
Thankfully, one of the rescuers soon spotted the raccoon in the river, noticing that he swam toward the shore. While some remained on the bridge to keep track of him, the rest of the crew quickly drove to the riverbank and secured the poor animal.
The rescue required wading into the cold river, a lot of patience, and kind hearts, but they eventually made it. The raccoon was successfully secured.
After being taken to the facility and examined by the vet, the Center reported that the raccoon had not sustained any major injuries.
“Miraculously, the raccoon suffered no broken bones, and after several days of observation for any underlying issues, he was deemed fit for release,” the Center stated.
Back To Wildlife
Two weeks later, Raven Ridge Wildlife Center posted the sweetest Facebook update, saying that the raccoon was finally released into the wild.
Its footage after jumping out of the crate melted the hearts of everyone. It was the perfect ending to a not-so-perfect story that could have gone wrong in so many ways.
“The moment we opened the crate, the raccoon wasted no time in embracing his newfound freedom, eagerly exploring a nearby water source with joy and enthusiasm,” the Pennsylvania center concluded.
Hopefully, the bridge “incident” was one of its last ordeals.