Raccoon Rescued With A Little Help From Newton Fire Department

NEWTON, MA — Thursday afternoon a small raccoon found itself in a tight spot. The little furry guy got its head stuck in a sewer grate in what appeared to be an attempt to exit said sewer along California Street. Only: It didn't quite go as planned.

Many of us have been there: that moment when you realize you've gotten in over your head and you need a little help from some friends. In this case, a concerned cyclist was riding by when he spotted the scene. He called for some help, and the fire department came to the rescue. Firefighters said they first attempted to use a little water and soap to help grease the grate. But it was with the help of Waltham Animal Control they were able to free the little rascal, which went home with Waltham Animal Control to recoup.

"We were able to rescue a juvenile raccoon today with help from Waltham’s Animal Control," announced the department in a tweet Thursday afternoon. "He had been stuck for a while, but we are happy to report he is free."

It isn't exactly unusual for raccoon to find themselves in precarious spots. See

Exhibit a) when a raccoon was seen scaling a Boston building earlier this year.

And then Exhibit b) when 2 Baby Raccoon were rescued In Dedham

And then there's the really tight spot one hungry Raccoon named "Rocky" found himself in in Connecticut where firefighters helped get him out of a Peanut Butter Jar

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).