This video shows the moment firefighters in the USA rescue four baby racoons and their mum stuck inside a chimney in a house.
Crews from the Upland Fire Station 161 in San Bernardino County, in the US state of California, rushed to help the poor animals when a worried caller said they were trapped in the chimney on Monday, 17th July.
Upon arrival at the 1300 block of North Shelly Ave, firefighters climbed up the roof and were stunned when they noticed the racoon mum and her four newborns as they took a look down.
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “Firefighters requested support from the City of Upland Animal Control to devise a plan focused on the safe extraction of the raccoons from the confined space, ensuring their wellbeing throughout the process.”
It took the crews two hours to carefully remove all baby racoons from the chimney of the home, after which they were moved to a wildlife rescue facility for medical checks.
Firefighters added: “The mother raccoon proved to be less cooperative.
“As a result, a plan was developed to encourage the mother to exit the chimney voluntarily, aiming to reunite her with her babies in the evening.
“Team members believed that the mother raccoon possessed the capability to navigate the chimney unassisted and without any intervention.”
The racoon mother reportedly exited the chimney, but all efforts to reunite her with her family failed after she could not be located later that evening or in the next several days.
Firefighters said: “The babies were transferred to a facility that will care for them until they are old enough to survive on their own before being released in the hills near the location of the incident.”
The department thanked all deployed firefighters and animal control experts for their efforts and emphasised the importance of collaborating together to save both human and animal lives.
They concluded: “Their expertise, dedication, and commitment to animal welfare played a pivotal role in ensuring the safe removal and subsequent care of the trapped raccoons.”
