He’s lucky to be alive!
A woman in Texas was taking a midnight drive toward Amarillo earlier this week when an unsuspecting raccoon walked out into the road. The driver swerved to avoid the raccoon and continued driving for another hour before she realized she wasn’t alone.
She pulled over and was shocked to find the raccoon’s legs sticking out from behind her front license plate.
“Unbeknownst to her, the raccoon had actually found [his] way into the car’s grille and remained trapped there for more than an hour until she made a stop in Amarillo,” Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WWWRC) wrote on Facebook.
It was just after 2 a.m. when the driver discovered the raccoon, and most of the city was sleeping. Thankfully, WWWRC rehabber Amee Markham Smith and a local officer were on alert and eager to help.
Smith and Officer Milburn rushed to the scene, finding the distressed raccoon wedged head-first into the woman’s car. They quickly realized they wouldn’t be able to pull the little guy out without injuring him further, so Smith came up with another plan.
“Huge thanks to the car owner for allowing Amee to cut into the grille of the car to get him out,” WWWRC wrote.
You can see more pictures from his rescue here:
After a careful and determined effort, the rescuers managed to dislodge the raccoon from the car. They then placed him in a cozy cage and transported him to WWWRC’s headquarters.
A full-body examination at the rehabilitation center confirmed that the raccoon was injured — he was suffering from a broken jaw and a small fracture in his spine. The team got to work treating his injuries and placed him in a temporary habitat while they waited for him to heal.
It’s been a few days since the raccoon was rescued, and Smith is happy to report that he is already feeling much better. With the consistent love and care he’s received from his friends at WWWRC, the little guy has made strides in his recovery and continues to get stronger daily.
“He’s actually recovering quite well considering everything he went through,” Smith commented on WWWRC’s Facebook post. “He’s eating like a champ and his mobility is improving daily.”
The resilient raccoon is still working on regaining his strength, hoping to one day return to the wild. Until then, his friends at WWWRC will keep showering him with love and affirmations of just how lucky he is.