Germany: Animal rescuers, firefighters free fat rat stuck in manhole cover

Berlin, Feb 27: Often, we tend to ignore the value of life in animals that we love to hate. But there are also people on the earth who value such lives and go the distance to save them. Recently, such an instance happened in the town of Bensheim in south-west Germany.

On Sunday, February 24, animal rescuers and firefighters in the town received a call for help and it was about saving a fat rat that got stuck in the hole of a manhole cover while passing through it.

For most, these make an insignificant story but not the caller and the local animal rescue group -- Berufstierrettung Rhein Neckar - which posted photographs of the rat's ordeal on social media. It was learnt from the Facebook post that the caller who sought help to rescue the unfortunate rodent was a young girl.

However, even the rescuers could not do much to get the rat freed as it was badly stuck. They then called the volunteer fire department from Auerbach, a nearby town. As many as nine personnel came to the scene and they lifted the manhole cover, pushed the trapped animal out and put it back into the sewer.

In a video which was shared by the group on YouTube, the obtuse animal was seen squeaking in pain. The social media users sympathised with the rodent and also at the same time, found similarity between it and them.

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Auerbach or Auerbach volunteer fire department later said on its Facebook page that the rescue operation was completed in a short time and the rat was unharmed.

The caller was also pictured later thanking the rescuers with a drawing filled with hearts.