mobanmarketWashington: He may lack the poise of “Guardians of the Galaxy” superhero Rocket Raccoon but this fur-tive little adventurer is becoming an internet star in his own right after coming off worse in an encounter with a storm grate.
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The mischievous mammal went viral after he was snapped by US firefighters managing to look simultaneously startled and cute as a button during a bungled escape from a sewer on Thursday.
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“He had been stuck for a while but we are happy to report he is free!!!” the local fire department tweeted after freeing the trapped trash panda in Newton, Massachussets.
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Firefighters were dispatched when a passing cyclist saw the raccoon clinging desperately to the grill, head and tiny paws visible through the metal struts, local media reported.
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“We sent a fire truck and we tried to remove his head from the sewer grate with soap and water,” said Newton Fire Lieutenant Michael Bianchi.
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When that failed, the firefighters called in local government animal control experts, who sedated the raccoon, calming it enough to pull its head out of the grate.
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“It was quite the operation,” said Bianchi. The whole rescue mission lasted two hours.
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“We rescue citizens both big and small!!!” tweeted the Newton fire department.
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Raccoons, which are omnivorous, live around two to three years in the wild.
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They are known for their strange fixation with “washing” their food and hands, a ritual believed by scientists to be related to their innate tendency to forage for food near water sources.
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