Rescue workers in the German town of Bensheim received an unusual call after a fat rat got stuck in a sewer manhole cover – all of which was captured in a viral video.
It took a team of about eight firefighters and a local professional animal rescuer to free the female rat on Sunday afternoon.
Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar, an animal rescue organization from Rhein Neckar in southwestern Germany, was involved in the rat’s rescue.
A video shot from a rescuer’s helmet showed firefighters lift the manhole cover and prop it up on wedges. That’s when one of them managed to pop the chubby rat free and release it back into the sewer.
The group described the rescue on Facebook and the post has garnered 3,000 reactions and more than 800 shares so far. The vast majority of the 500 comments have been positive, with people praising the rescuers for their professionalism and tact.
Footage of the group’s rescue on YouTube has been viewed 70,000 times in the past two days.
The group does not charge for animal rescues but its operations rely on donations. Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar implores people to donate to their PayPal account through info@tierrettung-rhein-neckar.de.
