Volunteer animal rescuers from Germany’s Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar were contacted by a local family who were concerned for the fat rat stuck in the hole.
He had been wedged in the sewer cover for a while and probably thought he would never be free.
It all took place in the small town of Bensheim in southern Hesse, Germany.
The rat had clearly underestimated the fat he had accumulated during the long winter and thought he could make it through.
The animal heroes gathered around the rat and discussed the best rescue method.
Although the animal was in desperate need of help, Andreas Steinbach at the Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar told The Dodo that he was in “really good condition.”
At first, they thought it would be enough with the tool they had brought with them.
But the rat was wedged too tightly and they feared their instrument may injure him so they reverted to plan B.
They realized that they had to lift the cap and free the rat from underneath.
They used a number of different tools to lift the heavy sewer cap. The volunteers worked hard to rescue the rodent.
Then success, as they finally managed to prize the cap off.
You can see from the picture below that the rat nearly made it out of the hole but the fattest part of him had been his downfall.
The volunteers free him from the other side of the sewer cap with help from volunteer firefighters.
Even curious passers-by in the area stopped to see what was going on.
It was a lengthy operation freeing this chubby rat.
The rat takes one last look at his rescuers before disappearing back into the sewer.
“He made a brief look back at us, as if to say, ‘Thank you — and yes, I know I need to go on a diet,” Steinbach told The Dodo.
Afterwards, local children came to thank the rat’s rescuers and give them drawings they had created for them.
What a great team effort to help this poor rodent!
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