There’s nothing more enticing than an open jar of peanut butter. That’s why, when a hungry raccoon in Barnstable, Massachusetts, found one on his adventures over the weekend, he couldn’t resist a taste.
The raccoon licked his way through the peanut butter jar, enjoying the remnants at the very bottom until he realized suddenly that he was stuck.
“[O]nce his snack turned into a helmet, he needed a helping hand,” Cape Wildlife Center (CWC), of the New England Wildlife Centers, wrote on Facebook.
Try as he might, the little raccoon couldn’t squeeze his head out of the peanut butter jar, now secured tightly around his neck. Panic settled in, and the little raccoon thrashed around until, thankfully, a Good Samaritan found him and called Barnstable Animal Control (BAC) for help.
A BAC officer soon arrived and quickly transported the raccoon to CWC. They made it just in time, and the CWC staff swiftly got to work saving the little guy.
“[O]ur veterinary team was able to safely remove the jar and free our furry friend — jar intact, pride slightly bruised and peanut butter cravings definitely satisfied,” CWC wrote.
Once they removed the jar from his head, the team gave he raccoon a thorough exam and confirmed that he was healthy enough to be released. They gave him some rehydrating fluids, then drove the raccoon back to where he was found and happily watched him saunter back home.
“He waddled off safe and sound, probably thinking twice about his next snack mission,” CWC wrote.
The CWC team was relieved to have saved the raccoon before any permanent damage could be done. Sadly, this isn’t the first time they’ve seen an animal trapped in an open food jar, and they are urging the public to take specific measures to help prevent it from happening again.
“To help critters avoid getting caught [in] situations like this, always be sure to secure all trash and recycling,” CWC wrote.
Luckily, this raccoon returned home unscathed by his peanut butter cravings. If all goes well, the CWC team won’t see the raccoon again — but they will never forget his adorable, tiny face and understandable hankering for the salty-sweet snack.
“[He’s a] little peanut butter bandit!” CWC wrote.