PORTLAND, Maine — An under-the-weather groundhog is now resting peacefully after stowing away beneath the hood of a car and getting a free ride to the far side of Portland Harbor on Wednesday.
According to a Facebook post by the Saco River Wildlife Center in Limington, the rodent’s saga began on Commercial Street, where it was spotted lying listless in the VA Clinic parking lot.
“Knowing it was unwell, two quick-thinking, compassionate individuals pulled over to help this little critter get a second chance at safety,” the post states.
The pair of unnamed humans then attempted to corral the buck-toothed furball to safety with a pair of thick gloves and a towel. They succeeded in keeping it away from the busy road, but the groundhog then dashed straight for one of their cars, vanishing somewhere under the hood.
Unable to find the obviously ill, yet still canny, beast, the car was then driven home, across the Casco Bay Bridge.
“Once home, she discovered that the groundhog was in fact… still there,” the Facebook post states.
A call then came into the animal experts at the Saco River Wildlife Center, where all manner of needy woodland beasts are regularly nursed back to health. Two volunteers were dispatched to the scene, along with South Portland and Cape Elizabeth Animal Control Officer Maggie Maxwell.
Using a neighbor’s car jack, the trio raised the vehicle enough for Maxwell to slide underneath and get a look at the groundhog. Maxwell was then able to coax the recalcitrant, rough-looking animal out of its hiding place in one of the car’s wheel wells.
“Now, the little one is safe in our care, though we suspect it may have mange or ringworm,” the Facebook post states. “Further examination will be conducted in the coming days.”
Within an hour, the social media post had garnered several reposts, likes and positive comments.
“Just when I am about to give up on humans, there is this,” one reader posted, followed with a heart emoji.
