Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar/Facebook
Rats are slinky little creatures that have the ability to slip in and out of the tightest situations – except when the situation is too tight apparently. One German rat found itself in such a predicament on February 24, 2019. In the southern German town of Bensheim, a female sewer rat got stuck in the hole of a manhole cover.
The rat was found by a little girl, who told her family about the struggling animal. Local first responder and animal rescuer Michael Sehr was then brought to the scene. He unsuccessfully attempted to ease the rat out of the hole, which was a bit too small for her to pass through. “She had a lot of winter flab and was stuck fast at her hip – there was no going forward or back,” Sehr told local media.
At that point, firefighters had to be called to the scene and it took eight of them to save the rat. They pried open the manhole cover so that the rat could safely be wedged out of the hole with Sehr’s help. After she was extracted, the rodent wasn’t let off easy. Instead, they placed her back in the sewer before she could escape to the streets. At the very least, she was no longer suffering.
News of this rat’s rescue soon went viral. While people were pleased that even the smallest life was saved that day, there were just as many who were simply amused by the entire situation. Some cynics questioned why anyone would put so much effort into saving a rat, of all creatures. But according to Sehr, “Even animals that are hated by many deserve respect.”
