This raccoon found a great snack — but then, everything went downhill.
Last month in North Fort Myers, Florida, a curious raccoon thought he hit the jackpot when he stumbled upon a metal can with some soup remnants still left inside. Eager to slurp up the leftovers, the raccoon put his head in — and then it got stuck.
Luckily, locals found the wayward snacker and took him to Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) for help.
It’s a good thing Dr. Robin Bast had a can opener on hand — because she was going to need it.
The veterinarian and her team carefully opened the bottom end of the can to allow the raccoon to breathe better, and then administered sedation to fully remove the remaining metal can.
As the raccoon relaxed, the team was able to quickly pull the can from around the animal’s head — and they were glad to see that the can hadn’t cut into his neck or chin.
“It’s not an uncommon occurrence; we get a handful of [litter] cases per month,” said Bast. “Situations include bottles or cans stuck on the animal’s head, dryer sheets wrapped around a bird’s beak, plastic stuck on wings or legs, etc.”
The hungry raccoon likely found the soup can while snooping through a trash can for food — something that can be easily prevented by taking the right precautions, Bast said.
“Raccoons and bears are known for rummaging through garbage cans and dumpsters, so be sure lids are closed and secured at all times to help keep them out of trouble,” Bast said. “Take a second to pick up any litter that you see – every little bit helps.”
After coming out of sedation, this lucky raccoon was more than ready to head back home to the wild. He’s expected to do just fine — but this time, he’s on doctor’s orders to stay clear from trash cans.
“Once he recovered from anesthesia, the raccoon was released the next day,” Bast said. “He ran out of the crate and into the woods without looking back! In this case, he was lucky and had no wounds nor any respiratory compromise from the can trapped on his face. He was given a clean bill of health and a wish from his doctors to stay out of trouble in the future!”
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